FARMER: I feed the world
IRONY: I feed you with problems
India is an influential agricultural powerhouse worldwide, having farmers as its backbone. But the irony is backbone (farmers) of the country is one of backward sector.
What hits your mind when you think about Indian farmers? Poverty! Illiteracy! Committing suicide! Thin looking brown guy whose half skeleton is visible! Waiting for rain!!??
Yes, that’s the harsh reality of our farmers.
Farmers are always being victim of nature’s action.
Farmers are already facing difficulties in coping up with climate change, biodiversity, soil erosion, infertility of land, poor storage facilities, insufficient water supply, over dependence on traditional crops, debt issues with high interest rates, in spite of all these, concerns have been raised regarding negative implications of COVID19 pandemic on the farm economy.
Current situation due to pandemic
The ongoing health crisis around COVID19 has affected all ways of life. There is huge interference in agricultural sector during this pandemic. Due to non-availability of laboures , harvesting and processing of crops have been affected. Transportation of agricultural products has become a biggest problem, even if they manage to arrange transportation, they are not are being able sell their yields due to restriction of time to sell. This is not only the barrier being faced, due to floods, crops are getting washed away, due to pandemic customers who buy from local market farmers are reducing as they are availing the option of online grocery shopping, global markets grabs local farmers marketing opportunities. In many places due to over production and deficit in sales, farmers are throwing their crops on to the roads as there is disruption for the sale of perishable crops and left empty handed.
Being indebted has been custom for farmers
Our farmers are binded with debts. They have incurred major debt for purchase of farm inputs, it is difficult for our farmers to get out of that debt as they are not getting appropriate price for their crops. Their debt is increasing to buy inputs for next harvest as there are no enough earnings from previous sales. As debt increases, interest keeps increasing without having any yield out of the investment on crops.
Psychological problems
Due to various problems, farmers face many psychological problems. Financial pressure is one amongst the major problem. This may develop anxiety, farmers under goes into deep stress, depression, sleeping disorders, increase rate of substance abuse (alcohol consumption), helplessness, suicidal thoughts.
Statistical facts
A survey of more than 1110 farmers found 45% reported high stress, 58% had various level of anxiety and 35% reported depression.
According to earlier governments reports, in 2014, 5650 farmers committed suicide, in 2017 and 2018 on an average 10 farmers are committing suicide daily. In this pandemic year 2019 -20 suicide rate in farming sector 7.4% of the total suicides in the country, resulting deaths of 5957 farmers and 4324 agricultural labourers.
When will this stops? When will farmers have satisfaction in their work? When they will be free from debt? When can we see permanent smile on their faces? When will farmer stop being victim???