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Farmers Suicide in India and Karnataka: An Economic Analysis
Dr.Sanganagouda Patil*
Dr.Sanganagouda Patil*, Faculty Department of Economics, Karnataka State Rural Development and
Panchayat Raj, University Gadag.
Abstract
Farmers’ suicides have become an important socio-economic concern in India that has profound
implication on the quality of life of farmers and their families. The study is based on secondary
data. The trends of farmer suicide in India and has given an idea of increasing trend of suicides
from 1980 to 2015. Suicides has four times increased, in the year 1980 the suicides in India
where only 40 which increased to 55 in 1985 and 1980 to in 1995 and has shown a tremendous
increase in suicides after 1997. The data further speaks about the male and female suicide rate
in India which also shows the increasing trend but the male suicides among farmers in India is
comparatively higher than the female suicides in India. The trends and patterns of farmer suicide in
Karnataka and has given an idea of increased trend of suicides from 1980 to 2015. Suicides has four
times increased, in the year 1980 the suicides in Karnataka where only 74 which increased to 80
in 1980 and 1985 to in 1995 and has shown a tremendous increase in suicides after 1997. In the
year 2015 the number of male suicides in India has been recorded as 89 suicides where as 48
suicides have been found in females, The total suicide in the year 2015 are 137 in Karnataka. the
correlation matrix of the factors contributing to influence the Farmer suicide in Karnataka. Five
of the 03 explanatory variables have significant simple correlation with the dependent variable.
This has significant correlation with Farmer Suicide. The Three variables are cropping, Rainfall
and Irrigation. These variables have 0.05 levels of significant correlations with Farmer Suicide.
Share of Cropping Pattern variable is highly significant and influenced to reduce the farmer
suicide and Rain fall is highly correlated with irrigation . Another two variables are Fertilizer
and Rainfall . These variables are negatively insignificantly correlated with Farmer suicide In
Karnataka.
Key Words : Farmer Suicide , Cropping Intensity, Rainfall , Land man Ratio and
Irrigation
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Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2613
1. INTRODUCTION
Farmers’ suicides have become an important socio-economic concern in India that has
profound implication on the quality of life of farmers and their families. There are not many
epidemiological studies on this. We propose to estimate suicide rates for farmers and non-
farmers across the states of India and over time. We will also contextualize our results to the
discourse on agricultural technology and development in general and that of cotton farming in
particular. Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of Karnataka, contributing about
28 per cent of the gross domestic products. More than 67 per cent of population is engaged in
agriculture. Even though suicides have existed since time immemorial, a scientific debate about
the process of suicides began only during the last decade in India and three to four decades back
in industrialized countries. India stands fourth in the rate of suicide in the world. During 1989-
99, the population of the country increased by 21.5 per cent, while the reported suicides
increased by 32.5 per cent as per the data from National Crime Records Bureau for the same
period, clearly showing higher growth in suicide rates in the country.
The incidence of suicides increased from 40,000 in the year 1967 to 110,000 in the year
1999 recording an increase by 175 per cent. The suicide rate in India in the year 1999 was 11
persons per lakh of population per year with 110,000 reported suicides according to a study by
the National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.38 Karnataka with 12,488 suicides,
stood third among the states in India during 1999, next only to West Bengal and Maharashtra.
Major causes of suicides noted in the study are illness (20 per cent), family problems (20.6 per
cent), and poverty (2.6 per cent), disappointment in love (3.4 per cent), and examination failures
(2.1 per cent).
Farmers suicides are no longer a feature of drought prone and economically backward districts.
The phenomena have spread to all regions including prosperous agriculture belts like Mandy.
While 49 suicides, the highest figure recorded, took place between April 1 and October 25 in
drought prone Hassan district, during the same period 22 suicides took place in Mandy, the
state’s sugar bowl and heartland of Cauvery irrigation network. The phenomenon of suicides
amongst farmers in Karnataka has been a recurrent theme in agricultural sector since 1998. The
sudden and alarming spurt in suicides since April 2003; however appears to indicate a new trend
and pattern. Farmer’s suicides are no longer a feature of drought prone or the economically
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backward districts alone, and nor are they occurring only in pockets of high investment
agriculture like cotton growing tracts. The pressure from moneylenders to repay loans appears to
drive farmers, particularly the small and marginal farmers, to take their own lives. Loans from
institutional lending sources typically account for just 10 per cent of small farmers’ credit needs
and there appears to be little evidence of banks forcing their creditors to repay their loans.
The pressure from moneylenders to repay loans appears to drive farmers, particularly the
small and marginal farmers, to take their own lives. Loans from institutional lending sources
typically account for just 10 per cent of small farmers’ credit needs and there appears to be little
evidence of banks forcing their creditors to repay their loans. For example, in Heveri district, the
percentage recovery of loans to agriculture by banks was 49 per cent, 44 per cent and 47 per cent
respectively during the last three years. All banks have rephrased their loan and interest
structures. The disbursements of banks are going down, as farmers are unable to repay loans
because this is the third year of crop failure In Mandy, there has been a spate of suicides largely
in Maddur Taluk, though Mandy is relatively an agrarian prosperity. But due to the low storage
capacity of dam in the Cauvery basin, farmers had to dig bore wells, which unfortunately failed.
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Deshapande (2002) to examine the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab have been rocked by
the suicides of a large number of farmers, posing a serious challenge to policy-makers. This
article attempts to identify the agro-economic situations faced by the farming community, as well
as other factors, as reflected by the case studies of the suicide victims, and to suggest remedial
measures to avert such tragedies in future. The development of the agricultural sector in
Karnataka thus began with seem- ingly formidable constraints in the form of large rain-fed areas,
meager irrigation, low value-low yield dominant cropping pattern and a large share of dependent
population. The struggle of the sector to achieve a respectable growth pattern through the
difficulties is well-documented and what has been achieved in the face of constraints sets a role
model. It was clearly noted that rainfed agriculture also participated and contributed equally well
in the growth before the 1990.
Vaidyanathan (2006) to analyze there are growing disparities between the agricultural and non-
agricultural sectors and deterioration in the quality of public services in rural India. However, the
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Planning Commission is mistaken if it thinks acceleration in the growth of manufacturing and
services will pull agriculture out of its present crisis. And contrary to much common belief
indebtedness, low levels of investment and import liberalization are not the causes of the
agrarian crisis. A radically different approach is required to make the farm sector grow by 4 per
cent a year.
Srijit Mishra (2006) in his study on An agrarian crisis has precipitated a spate of suicides in
Maharashtra. The suicide mortality rate for farmers in the state has increased from 15 in 1995 to
57 in 2004. The rain-dependent cotton growing farmers of Vidarbha are faced with declining
profitability because of dumping in the global market by the US, low import tariffs, failure of the
Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme and withdrawal of the state (resulting in declining public
investment in agriculture, poor government agriculture extension services and the diminishing
role of formal credit institutions). The farmer now depends on the input dealer for advice,
leading to supplier-induced demand, and on informal sources of credit, which result in a greater
interest burden. In short, the farmer is faced with yield, price, credit, income and weather
uncertainties. The way out is to merge bold public policy initiatives with civil society
engagement.
3. OBJECTIVES
To analyze the trends and pattern of farmers suicide in India and Karnataka
To examine the Factors affecting to farmer suicide in Karnataka
To offer and policy suggestion to control the farmer suicide in Karnataka
4. MATERIALS AND METHOD
The study is based on secondary data. The data collected from Karnataka crime report census,
National Crime Records Bureau of India at Karnataka level. The data will be collected from the year
1980-81 to 2014-15. The various statistical tools which will be using like percentage, coefficient
of variations (CV) and Correlation Matrix.
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5. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Trends and pattern of farmer’s suicide in India and Karnataka
Table: 1 Farmers Suicide Trends in India
Year Male Female Total
1980 20 20 40
1985 30 25 55
1990 40 35 75
1995 50 32 82
1997 55 35 90
1999 58 42 100
2000 75 40 115
2005 80 50 130
2010 83 56 139
2015 94 64 158
2016 110 70 180
2017 122 80 202
2018 136 94 230
Sources: National Crime Records Bureau
Table 1: Shows the trends of farmer suicide in India and has given an idea of increasing trend of
suicides from 1980 to 2018. Suicides has four times increased, in the year 1980 the suicides in
India where only 40 which increased to 55 in 1985 and 1980 to in 1995 and has shown a
tremendous increase in suicides after 1997. The data further speaks about the male and female
suicide rate in India which also shows the increasing trend but the male suicides among farmers
in India is comparatively higher than the female suicides in India. In the year 2015 the number
of male suicides in India has been recorded as 94 suicides where as 64 suicides has been found in
females, The total suicide in the year 2018 are 230 which is very high, so there is immediate
need of Government intervention.
Chart:1 Farmers Suicide Trends in India
2030
4050 55 58
75 80 8394
110122
136
20 2535 32 35 42 40
50 5664 70
8094
0
50
100
150
1980 1985 1990 1995 1997 1999 2000 2005 2010 2015 2016 2017 2018
Male Female
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Table: 2 Farmers Suicide Trends in Karnataka
Year Male Female Total
1980 63 11 74
1985 62 18 80
1990 63 27 90
1995 63 30 93
1997 64 32 96
1999 66 33 99
2000 66 34 100
2005 73 38 111
2010 82 42 124
2015 89 48 137
2016 94 52 146
2017 106 64 170
2018 128 86 214
Sources: National Crime Records Bureau
Table 2: Shows the trends and patterns of farmer suicide in Karnataka and has given an idea of increased
trend of suicides from 1980 to 2018. Suicides has four times increased, in the year 1980 the
suicides in Karnataka where only 74 which increased to 80 in 1980 and 1985 to in 1995 and has
shown a tremendous increase in suicides after 2018. The data about shows the male and female
suicide rate in Karnataka which also shows the increasing trend but the male suicides among
farmers in Karnataka is comparatively higher than the female suicides in Karnataka. There are so
many reason like lack of financial credit, lack of irrigation, lack of cropping intensity and lack of
fertilizer consumption. In the year 2015 the number of male suicides in India has been recorded
as 89 suicides where as 48 suicides have been found in females, The total suicide in the year
2018 are 214 in Karnataka.
Chart:2 Farmers suicide Trends in Karnataka
63 62 63 63 64 66 6673
8289 94
106
128
1118
27 30 32 33 34 38 42 48 5264
86
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1980 1985 1990 1995 1997 1999 2000 2005 2010 2015 2016 2017 2018
Male Female
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5.2 To Factors affecting to farmer suicide in Karnataka
5.2.1 LAND MAN RATIO
The growth population was rapid in Karnataka also. Although the growth rate seems to have
decreased between 2000-01 to 2010-11. Figure 1: Shows the trends in land man ratio across three
periods. It is found that the land man ratio has decreased in the entire district in the year of 2000-
01 to 2010-11. The lowest decrease was found in Uttar Kannada District, followed by the
Bangalore Urban District in 2010-11. The land man ratio has one of the main factors affecting to
the farmer suicide in Karnataka. There has been increasing the land man ratio in 2000-01 in 8.20
percent in Bangalore Rural District. In the same period the land man ratio has been decreased in
3.2 percentages in Uttar Kannada District. After 2010-11 there has been decreasing in land man
ratio in overall Karnataka this is main reason for farmer suicide in Karnataka.
Figure: 1 Land Man Ratio
Sources : Karnataka At a Glance in 2000 to 2010
5.2.2 CROPING INTENSITY
Table : 1 Shows that the cropping Intensity was highest in Dharwad district at 151.64% in
2000-01 . In the same period the lowest cropping intensity in Kodagu district at 101.23
Percentage many reason like, most of the farmers depend upon the cropping pattern in
Karnataka. After the 2010-11 the cropping intensity was highest in Dharwad District at
2.513.13
2.49
1.72
2.77
3.75
1.942.09
2.97
2.162.00
8.20
3.07
1.97
6.76
2.431.69
3.543.90
2.603.00
1.58
2.51
1.341.941.32
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Bag
alko
t
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lgau
m
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llary
Bija
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r
Bid
ar
Dh
arw
ad
Gu
lbar
ga
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ag
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eri
Ko
pp
al
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r
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glo
re®
Ban
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re(U
)
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itra
du
rg
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lar
Tum
aku
r
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arajn…
Man
day
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Mys
ore
Has
san
Dav
anag
eri
Chikkamag…
Dakshinkan…
Ko
dag
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Shim
oga
Utt
arka
nn
ad
2000-2001 2010-2011
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166.91 percentages. In the same period the lowest cropping intensity in Bangalore urban
district it is followed by the Bangalore Rural District. It is also one of the main factor farmer
suicide in Karnataka.
Table: 1 Cropping intensity
District
2000-
01 2010-11
Bagalkot 114.48 128.69
Belgaum 119.49 130.92
Bellary 114.6 130.63
Vijaypur 115.25 119.53
Bidar 121.23 117.71
Dharwad 151.64 166.19
Kalaburgi 118.97 117.52
Gadag 127.13 144.06
Haveri 125.15 118.12
Koppal 122.12 133.44
Raichur 116.85 132.36
Banglore® 108.93 104.45
Banglore(U) 110.31 103.3
Chitradurg 119.55 110.83
Kolar 109.33 105.27
Tumakur 109.7 110.82
Chamarajnagar 117.85 120.72
Mandaya 115.05 115.63
Mysore 120.54 158.24
Hassan 114.48 127.94
Davanageri 119.26 119.74
Chikkamagalur 107.29 111.06
Dakshinkannad 120.58 120.25
Kodagu 101.23 108.72
Shimoga 116.34 118.62
Uttarkannad 112.84 111.26
Udupi 129.75 119.2
Sources: District at a Glance
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5.2.3 RAINFALL
Figur:2 Shows that The fourth most important factor contributing to growth of operational
landholding is rainfall. The trend of rainfall across districts are revealed in Figure 2 The average
amount of rainfall received in the district has slightly increased from has 1458 mms in the year
2000-01 to that of 1563 mms in 2010-11. The highest rainfall in received is in Udupi it is then
followed by Dakshinkannada,
Chart:3 District wise Rain fall in Karnataka
5.2.4 IRRIGATION
Table : 2 Shows that the irrigation was highest in Shivamogga district at 60.87 percentage in
the 2000-01. In the same period the lowest irrigation is Kodagu district at 3.20 percentages.
After the 2004-05 the Mandy district was highest in irrigation at 60.44 percentages. In the
same period the lowest irrigation in Kodagu District at 20.42 percentage .
12.77
1.66
3.12
1.761.54
2.722.292.311.82
2.661.971.712.052.322.332.112.202.272.262.29
4.39
2.54
5.23
11.71
6.937.217.54
13.32
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
2000-2001 2010-2011
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Table : 2 District wise Irrigation in Karnataka
District 2000-01 2010-11
Bagalkot 56.23 59.23
Belgaum 53.53 57.25
Bellary 39.36 44.53
Vijaypur 34.96 36.14
Bidar 12.87 16.04
Dharwad 15.4 17.79
Kalaburgi 17.52 7.14
Gadag 17.27 24.9
Haveri 20.84 21.51
Koppal 31.62 29.78
Raichur 33.43 34.99
Banglore® 8.3 22.42
Banglore(U) 12.2 17.33
Chitradurg 20 22.38
Kolar 8.19 17.51
Tumakur 26.77 29.06
Chamarajnagar 42.31 35.91
Mandaya 56.66 56.26
Mysore 41.19 46.87
Hassan 24.51 35.68
Davanageri 40.57 43.14
Chikkamagalur 11.69 13.21
Dakshinkannad 52.64 53.73
Kodagu 3.2 2.39
Shimoga 60.87 63.92
Uttarkannad 24.63 26.06
Udupi 32.76 34.41
Sources: District at a Glance
A clear understanding of such Farmer suicide in Karnataka, in this section an attempt has
been made to account for such difference and relationship by using the correlation matrix. The
Table 3 shows the correlation matrix of the factors contributing to influence the Farmer suicide
in Karnataka. Five of the 03 explanatory variables have significant simple correlation with the
dependent variable. This has significant correlation with Farmer Suicide. The Three variables
are cropping, Rainfall and Irrigation. These variables have 0.05 levels of significant correlations
with Farmer Suicide. Share of Cropping Pattern variable is highly significant and influenced to
reduce the farmer suicide and Rain fall is highly correlated with irrigation . Another two
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue IV, APRIL/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2622
variables are Fertilizer and Rainfall . These variables are negatively insignificantly correlated
with Farmer suicide In Karnataka.
TABLE : 3 Correlation Matrix
Land man
Ratio Fertilizer Cropping Rainfall irrigation
Land man
Ratio
1
Fertilizer -.205 1
Cropping .373* -.107 1
Rainfall -.118 .280* -.214 1
irrigation .290* .334* .255** .130** 1
Sources: Author Calculated
6. CONCLUSION
The phenomenon of suicides amongst farmers in Karnataka has been a recurrent theme in
agricultural sector since 1998. The sudden and alarming spurt in suicides since April 2003;
however appears to indicate a new trend and pattern. Farmer’s suicides are no longer a feature of
drought prone or the economically backward districts alone, and nor are they occurring only in
pockets of high investment agriculture like cotton growing tracts. The pressure from
moneylenders to repay loans appears to drive farmers, particularly the small and marginal
farmers, to take their own lives. Loans from institutional lending sources typically account for
just 10 per cent of small farmers’ credit needs and there appears to be little evidence of banks
forcing their creditors to repay their loans.
7. REFERENCE
Chand, R. (2004). India’s national agricultural policy: a critique. Indian Journal of
Agricultural Economics, 64(2) 164-187. ƒ
Gregoire, A.(2002). The mental health of farmers. Society of Occupational Medicine, 52.
ƒ Manav, C. (2006). Debt drives Indian farmers to suicide. Inter Press Service. ƒ
Mishra, S. (2007). Risks, farmers’ suicides and agrarian crisis in India: is there a way
out? Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research: Mumbai. ƒ
Mohanty, B.B. (2005). We are like the living dead: Farmer suicides in Maharashtra,
Western India. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 32(2), 243-276. ƒ
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