BENGALURU: As the state government faces the spectre of unending farmer suicides, agricultural experts are calling for tough measures to resolve the problem.

At least 30 farmers have killed themselves in the last month, especially in Yadgir, Davangere, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Raichur districts. Most of them are either sugarcane or cotton farmers. The major reasons cited for the suicides are: non-payment of dues, crash in cash crop prices, debts amounting to `1-5 lakh, non-repayment of loans to public sector banks and money lenders and crop failure.

Two farmers have even set fire to their sugarcane crop in Mandya district due to failure to get back their investments.

Criticising the government’s decision to set up one more committee, the experts said resources should not be wasted on new panels as earlier committee reports are still gathering dust.

“It is just delaying tactics as farmers need a permanent solution for their annual problem of price fixation and payment for their crops,” said Kurbara Shantha Kumar, president of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association. “For the last 10-15 years, no price fixation has been done properly. What is the use of having an agriculture price fixation commission which cannot fix prices taking into account the realistic expenses incurred by farmers?” Shantha Kumar said the M S Swaminathan Commission set up by the UPA government in 2008 has dealt with these issues in detail. “Why can’t they implement this report (submitted in 2011)?” he asked. “They are now shedding crocodile tears while they have not been able to implement the High Court directive on payment to sugarcane farmers pending for two years now.”  Shantha Kumar has been spearheading a campaign for the last two days to educate farmers not to commit suicide. According to him, the government should give a compensatory loan of `10 lakh to the affected families.

“Since the government claims that compensation encourages suicides, let them give it as a loan which can be repaid in 10 years,” he said.

Dr D P Kumar, Director, University of Agricultural Sciences, said farmers need support in the form of incentives and subsidies. “With input and high labour costs and variation in demand and supply chain, farmers are driven to take such drastic steps. There is no price fixation for most crops. We need a scientific pricing system. We badly need a monitoring system for ascertaining the demand for a crop, say sugarcane, where an MoU can be signed between the grower and the factory owner for purchase of produce,” he said.

Farmers should be counselled to switch over to alternate crops as excess production also triggers such problems. “Further, the government has to set up counselling centres as this is a social problem and not just agrarian,” he said.

Lamenting the attitude of politicians and sugarcane mill owners, Dr Vishwanath Kadur, organic agriculture expert said, “Why cannot they make payments once the crops are purchased? Even after sugar is processed, the farmer is still awaiting payment. This sets in a chain reaction where his debts spiral up and he is unable to pay. Many sugar mills have been locked up and no action has been taken by the government. They should be handed over to the cooperatives.” The success of Draksha Bhavans and Mahagrapes in Maharashtra is an ideal model for farmers. Advising farmers not to get desperate, Dr Kadur says it is high time farmers growing specific crop get together to form their own body to raise funds.

“Too much dependence on the government is not good. They should become responsible for raising their own funds wherein the government can chip in but not depute its officials. Each of these groups should become responsible for fixing prices and marketing it,” he said.