1500 Farmers Commit Suicide in India

[paparush]

Over 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure, it was reported today.

The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.

"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine

"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well."

Mr Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress.

In another village nearby, Beturam Sahu, who owned two acres of land was among those who committed suicide. His crop is yet to be harvested, but his son Lakhnu left to take up a job as a manual labourer.

His family must repay a debt of £400 and the crop this year is poor.

"The crop is so bad this year that we will not even be able to save any seeds," said Lakhnu's friend Santosh. "There were no rains at all."

"That's why Lakhnu left even before harvesting the crop. There is nothing left to harvest in his land this time. He is worried how he will repay these loans."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/1500-farmers-commit-mass-suicide-in-india-1669018.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. ...The Money 'Lenders'

Debt is poison for farmers, farms, and land in general.

It's true in India -- and it is true in the US of A.

From the article:

"Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association: "Farmers' suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death."

[cobalt1999]

2. For the water table to drop over 200 feet, someone is using a shitload of H2O

One question I have is why the drop?

Over farming?
Over Irrigation?
New large cities?

[shanti]

3. coca cola?

:shrug:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. That was my first thought but I think they are located in a different state. Drought in India

has always been a serious problem.

[customerserviceguy]

5. In the article

it mentioned the lack of rain. That will drop the water table no matter how many people are trying to draw from it. Perhaps its climate change, perhaps its just the bad part of a multi-year cycle.

[blindpig]

6. Answer: The Green Revolution.

The green Revolution introduced high yield strains which required irrigation and industrial agriculture inputs. The irrigation dropped the water table and the inputs are an expense which the farmers can hardly afford.

Some might represent the Green Revolution as a misguided failure but we shouldn't forget that it was a pot of gold for the agro-industrial complex. Always follow the money.

[paparush]

7. Yep. Johnson, basically out of fear of a poor, starving, India turning communist

initiated the Green Revolution which introduced (subsidized) western farming practices to India.

Using tractors, wheat, corn, fertilizer, and pesticides, India was able to quadruple its food production and actually export food at a profit.

The downside...these farming methods depend on irrigation, so, yes, India's bread basket has been sucking its lifeblood (water) out of the ground at an alarming rate.

I heard this on NPR or Democracy Now earlier this week.

[cobalt1999]

10. The fun with unsustainable farming practices is when they collapse

Soon, we'll have an India with over 1 Billion people without enough to eat.

Oh boy!

[paparush]

12. Yes..that's exactly where this is headed. Massive dustbowl, water tables diminished, famine.

[derby378]

13. Don't forget - India has nukes

A nation in danger of starving may start to think of its nuclear warheads as currency. Any buyers?

:scared:

[baldguy]

4. At least they didn't turn to piracy!

Then we would've had to kill them!

:sarcasm:

[MindPilot]

8. Not to worry, the US will give them H1B visas

so they can put American farmers out of work too.

[SpiralHawk]

11. And programmers and call centers

...don't forget them...