This presentation highlights the issue of farmer suicides in India, the difficulties they face, our interventions to address their issues and its impact on them.

1. On an average 38 farmers commit suicide
everyday in India…
Source : NCRB reports

2. 1803 women farmers committed suicide in
2012...
Source : NCRB reports

3. 13754 farmers committed suicide in the country in
2012…
Source : NCRB reports

4. Almost 75 per cent of farmer suicides have
occurred amongst the small and medium farmers.
Source: Farmers'SuicideReport by Dr. Narendra Jadhav

5. Indebtedness was the reason behind the suicide
of 93% farmers.
Source: Farmers'SuicideReport by Dr. Narendra Jadhav

6. Reasons for Indebtedness
Increasing cost of
agriculture inputs
Reduced price of
agriculture produces
Repeated crop loss
Indebtedness
Withdrawal of
government support
Increasing
dependence on money
lenders at high rates of
interest.
Source : Report on Farmer’s suicide in India by Navdanya

7. Difficulties faced by Marginalized and
Small Farmers
• Lack of knowledge about low input sustainable
farming systems
• Push towards commodity crops such as cotton even
in rainfed areas
• Lack of access to good quality seeds
• High input costs of seeds and fertilizers
• Lack of access to formal credit systems
• Exposed to volatile global market and no support
system in place

8. ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMME
OF SWISSAID INDIA

9. OUR WORK
Training of
Lead Farmers
Accessing
Government
Schemes
Alternative
Agricultural
Practices
ORGANIC
FARMING
Scale up of
best
Agricultural
practices
Demonstration
Farms
Crop
Diversification

10. Highlights of 2012

11. LOWER COSTS
1945 marginalized farmers have
reduced cultivation costs by 20%

12. NO FARMER SUICIDE
In 95 project villages where we work
have reported no suicide since we
started our intervention.

13. AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
1311 Families accessed government
subsidized inputs & services.

14. WOMEN FARMERS
1024 women farmers are practicing
organic farming techniques.

15. Overall
7520 Organic Farmers
who benefited through our
Projects in 2012.