Climate Change claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

Climate Change claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

Climate change and credit crunch claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

NAGPUR: 5^TH  July  2012

The erratic monsoon and effects of climate change has started giving it’s severe effect   in farm suicides prone dry land region vidarbha where four more distressed small farmers killed themselves in last 48 hours as per reports published in local media  and  they are identified as

1.Rajebdra Raut  of Village Ajani in Yavatmal

2.Vithal Jugnake of Village Hiwara in Wardha

3.Suresh Thokale of Village Wadhona in Wardha

4.Gopichand Khatole of Village Khandi in Gondia

Earlier last week six ill fated farmers who committed suicides due to delayed rains and failure sowing  as reported earlier are

5.Dhyaneshwar Tayde og village Telhra  dist..Akola

6.Rajendra Wadhai of village Supalipar in distt. Gondi

7.Ramdas Hingwe of village Nara in wardha

8.Babulal Rathode of village deurwadi in Yavatmal

9. Vijay  Pimpalshende of Sonurli in Yavatmal

10. Ambadas Hatgoankar of Konghara in Yavatmal

This takes tally of farmers suicides in vidarbha  to 422 in year 2012 ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed in press release today

“In dry land region of vidarbha we are facing the problem of erratic rain of monsoon since 2010 this year too earlier second week June there were very heavy rains some of select blocks followed by normal monsoon forecast of metrological deptt. tempting   farmer to start sowing but next 20 days ,the dry spell with very hot sunny days damaged whole sowing fueling the distress in dying cotton farmers resulting in such high numbers of suicides  ,till monsoon rain pattern of heavy rain in select block and complete drought like situation in some of district is causing grate concern but you are surprised to see the remark of Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that delay in monsoon is not matter of worry  as he may right because he has never looked at dying farmers of Maharashtra even NCRB has been reporting maximum suicides indicating agrarian crisis is at it’s peak in mother state of  Sharad Pawar that’s is very unfortunate and shocking ”Tiwari added.

‘As per official figure of  administration out 3 million  cotton farmers only 25% farmers have been covered in to institutional banks and crop loan disbursement target is less 40% of NABARD credit outlay to the region and credit crunch has been issue as debt trapped farmers are credit starved and is one of factor of despair in agrarian crisis hence we demand central intervention for crop loan restructuring in selct blocks where resowing is being done’ Tiwari urged.

“Vidarbha agrarian crisis has entered seven year now and vidarbha farmers suicides are being reported since June 2005 @ 8 hourly and as per official Govt. record more that 9000 dry land farmers have killed themselves due distress and despair accumulated due to crop failure and economic losses due cotton prices collapses due wrong policies of Indian Govt. regarding export  . now one side monsoon rain are getting delayed other side banks are not giving fresh crop loan to farmers and input cost of as Bt.cotton seed ,fertilizers and pesticides have been  has been almost double in same cases triple which is also adding fuel to the crisis as last year too in maharashtra alone Bt.cotton failed in 42 lakh hector and maharashtra has officially paid more than Rs.4000 crore as compensation to the dying cotton farmers of region  hence furrows on farmers' brows are getting deeper as they desperately wait for rains,.with the monsoon playing truant, water level in reservoirs of large and medium dams is fast depleting At least now the government should intervene to see that farmers take up less rain-sensitive food crops like jawar and bajra instead of cotton and soya so as to sustain food needs for the year ahead," said Tiwari.

‘Ground reality in  complete maharashtra in too gloomy to explain ground water level has reached to very alarming level and uncontrolled water mining is adding fuel to crisis and the promotion of very rain sensitive crop like Bt.cotton by the maharashtra state is making situation more difficult as farmers who want shift from Bt.cotton they are not getting good quality seed of food crop and pluses  more over very low minimum support price and productivity ,farmers are being forced to opt Bt.cotton seed  hence we demand urgent Govt. intervention to provide direct aid and quality seed for the dry land farmers who are demanding seed of pulses ,ground nu ,jawar ,bajar maize ’ Tiwari urged to the Govt.