Parliament Question: Reasons for Farmer Suicides

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1422 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9TH DECEMBER, 2025 REASONS FOR FARMER SUICIDES 1422. SHRI MOHITE PATIL DHAIRYASHEEL RAJSINH: SMT. SUPRIYA SULE: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष और (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the rising number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra, particularly in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions during the last five years, and if so, the district-wise details along with the major reasons identified for these suicides; (b) the details of financial assistance, livelihood support, mental-health interventions, and counselling services provided to affected families, and whether the Government has reviewed the outcomes of these measures in reducing agrarian distress; (c) the new schemes, targeted interventions, or special packages introduced for Maharashtra to address structural farm issues such as credit access, debt restructuring, crop insurance coverage, MSP procurement, and expansion of irrigation facilities; (d) whether the Government has prepared a comprehensive plan to enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change, extreme weather, and market fluctuations; and (e) if so, the details thereof, including technology adoption, crop diversification, and early-warning systems? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य म(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI). The report till 2022 is available on NCRB website (https://ncrb.gov.in). Reasons for suicides are wide ranging. Agriculture is a State Subject. Ex gratia or relief is provided by State Governments as per State provisions & rules.(c): The government is implementing Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) to provide loan on concessional interest rate through Kisan Credit Card (KCC). Farmers receive KCC loans at a subsidized interest rate of 7%. To facilitate this, an upfront interest subvention of 1.5% is provided to financial institutions. Additionally, farmers who repay their loans promptly receive a 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive, effectively reducing the interest rate to 4% per annum. These benefits are available for loan limits up to Rs. 3 lakhs. As on 30.09.2025, there are 69,86,475 operative KCC accounts with Rs. 86,100 crore credit extended in Maharashtra. Maharashtra has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana since 2016. In the past 9 years, 1,308.09 lakh farmer applications has been insured with for over 796.88 lakh hectares under the scheme. Every year, Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 22 mandated agricultural crops based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP). Government had increased MSP for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other Commercial crops with a minimum return of 50 percent over all India weighted average cost of production from year 2018-19 onwards. Benefits for tenants and marginalised farmers excluded from institutional credit are extended as per procurement norms of concerned State/UT government. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) aims to ensure remunerative prices for farmers by strengthening the MSP system. Its key objectives are to provide price support for pulses, oilseeds, and copra; reduce distress sales by guaranteeing minimum assured income to farmers; promote procurement, price deficiency payments, and private participation in procurement. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) aims to increase water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems. (d) & (e): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is implementing a project- National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), that studies the impact of climate change on agriculture, conducts district level risk and vulnerability assessment. Under the project, risk and vulnerability assessment of climate change has been carried out at district-level for 651 predominantly agricultural districts as per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) protocols. 310 districts were identified as vulnerable out of which 109 districts have been categorized as ‘very high’ and 201 districts as ‘highly’ vulnerable. For enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, location-specific climate resilient technologies have been demonstrated under the project through KVKs in 448 Climate Resilient Villages. Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks and community nurseries is undertaken under NICRA project that enables availability of seeds in the adopted villages. Drought and flood tolerant climate-resilient varieties of rice, wheat, soybean, mustard, chickpea, sorghum, gram, and foxtail millet were demonstrated in several NICRA villages. Besides, training programmes are conducted under Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) on various issues of agricultural practices including creation of awareness on using quality seeds among the farmers.To mitigate the impacts of adverse weather on agriculture, under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme, medium-range weather forecasts for the next 5 days at the district and block levels are generated by Indian Meteorological Department(IMD). Based on rainfall and other weather parameters along with weather forecasts issued by IMD, 130 Agromet Field Units prepare Agromet Advisories in English as well as in the regional language for dissemination through multiple channels. Also, farmers access weather information including alerts and related agromet advisories specific to their districts through the mobile App viz., ‘Meghdoot’ launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences which is available in English and 13 regional languages. These weather details are also accessible to farmers through ‘Mausam’ App of IMD. The Panchayat-level weather forecast information is accessible through multiple digital platforms, including: eGramSwaraj (https://egramswaraj.gov.in/), ‘Gram Manchitra’ Application of MoPR (https://grammanchitra.gov.in/gm4MVC), ‘Meri Panchayat’ Mobile App and Mausamgram web portal of IMD (https://mausamgram.imd.gov.in/). Government of India is also encouraging farmers through state governments to grow crops such as pulses under Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, oilseeds under the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oilseeds, horticultural crops under the Mission for Integrated Development of horticulture. The Government of India provides flexibility to the states for state specific needs/priorities under the Pradhan Mantri – Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY). The states can promote crop diversification under PM-RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee. *****