Amidst bumper cotton crop claim ….Six Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in 2011

Amidst bumper cotton crop claim ….Six Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in 2011

Nagpur-4^th Jan 2011

When cotton research wing of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (I.C.A.R.) Central Institutes for Cotton Research (C.IC.R.) Claimed that this year record 325 lacs bales (170 kg-lint) in India and record 75 lacs bales in Maharashtra terming it’s bumper crop in 110 lacs hectors in India and 42 lacs hector in Maharashtra is not showing any effect to lower down the despair and distress among the suicide prone vidarbha cotton farmers as in last 72 hours six more debt trapped farmers suicides have been reported ,identified as

1.Ravindra Kodape of Nandapur in Akola

2.Prakash Pawar of Ajanti in Yavatmal

3.Motiram Mohurle of Susand in Wardha

4.Kamalkar Sawarbandhe of Asegoan in Bhandara

5.Ghotu Jabhorkar of Talkalkheda in Amaravati

6.Rahul Karthode of Kelzara in Yavatmal

Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS )informed in press release today

‘Even cotton prices started climbing back to earlier level of 4200 to 4400 a quintal after the last date for completing the fixed quota of cotton exports extended till February 24 and so called bumper crop of cotton India has no relation with economic growth of debt trapped vidarbha cotton farmers as steep rise in cultivation cost and mounting debt from private money lenders has increased acute distress so as on going high cost of health care and livelihood is adding fuel to the vidarbha agrarian crisis. Now integrated solution is must focusing on the socio-economic issues of rural vidarbha in order to stop on going farmers Genocide’ Tiwari added.

‘Area under cotton cultivation in India cross 110 lacs hector and 42 lacs hector in Maharashtra then claim of 325 lacs and 75 lacs bales in India and Maharashtra respectively reflects that average yield of Bt.cotton is less than 400kg /quintal ,resulting average losses to the tune of Rs.5000/- per acre that the matter of mounting debt and distress hence withdrawal of cotton cultivation in most serious issue that has to be addressed’ Tiwari said.

‘we are expecting central intervention to stop this mass genocide of innocent farmers who are victims of wrong policies promoted by state as in dry land area rain sensitive crop like Bt.cotton is being cultivated in more than 95% causing huge financial losses to the cotton farmers and water crisis in the area. We have been demanding the ban on rain sensitive crop in this region and promotion of food crop in all rain fed area of vidarbha since 2004 but nobody is giving any attention to this serious demand resulting more and more farm suicides in the region’ VJAS stressed in press release today.