Agrarian Distress in Maharashtra:Why Vidarbha and Marathwada Alone?

Abstract

Maharashtra is leading in suicide among farmers. Its incidence is concentrated in the vulnerable regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada. While the number of suicides per lakh hectare of net sown area is 26.35 in Vidarbha and Marathwada, the corresponding figure for the rest of Maharashtra is 7.25. Primary data collected from these two regions indicated that soyabean and cotton were the major crops of sample households where there was an instance of suicide and together constituted 62.78 per cent of their gross cropped area. Looking across all crops, the net returns to farmers were negative to the tune of ` 27,301 per acre and `32,716 per household indicating that farming is an unviable economic activity. Crop failures due to droughts year after year coupled with low prices make farmers defaulters in the credit market and a vicious cycle is perpetuated. The study concludes that Marathwada is a water stressed region with many districts receiving even less than half the normal rainfall. Therefore, top priority must be given to watershed strategies, besides promoting water saving technologies.