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Suicide of farmers in Maharashtra - Background Papers [1]

This paper has three parts: 

  • The first, an analysis of 192 news reports in a Marathi daily, Deshonnati, cites 320 cases of farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra reported during 2004. A study of circumstances reveals multiple risk factors – economic downfall, agrarian crisis, and social disgrace among others. Indebtedness, a manifestation of economic downfall, becomes acute with reliance on moneylenders. A comparison of news reports with government investigation indicates scope for subjective interpretation in the latter.
  • The second part, on issues highlighted by the media in general, identifies several problems: adverse developments affecting the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme (MCPS) since the mid-1990s, increasing price (and also yield) risk and reducing profitability in Cotton cultivation, withdrawal of the state from the rural agrarian scenario and the questions of market-driven Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) versus cost-saving organic cotton.
  • The third part is on suicide reportage, suggesting that media follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines of DOs and DONTs.
Publication Date: 
26/01/2006
Srijit Mishra [2], Sangeeta Shroff [3], Deepak Shah & et al [4]
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research [5]
Tags:
Farmers [6], Agriculture [7], Debt [8], Maharashtra [9], Pesticide Poisoning [10], Yavatmal (D) [11], Wardha (D) [12], Washim (D) [13], Cotton [14], Rainfall Pattern [15], Monsoons [16], Compensation [17]

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Source URL: http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/suicide-farmers-maharashtra-background-papers

Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/suicide-farmers-maharashtra-background-papers
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/srijit-mishra
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/sangeeta-shroff
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/deepak-shah-et-al
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/publisher/indira-gandhi-institute-development-research
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/farmers
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/agriculture
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/debt
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/maharashtra
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/pesticide-poisoning
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/yavatmal-d
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/wardha-d
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/washim-d
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/cotton
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rainfall-pattern
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/monsoons
[17] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/compensation