1,358 farmers commit suicide between 2007-2014

28 September, Bhubaneswar

As many as 1,358 farmers, including 155 women, have committed suicide in Odisha from 2007 to 2014, Minister for Agriculture Pradip Maharathi told the state Assembly Wednesday.

Replying to a question of Dillip Ray (BJP), the Minister quoting the National Crime Report Bureau report said 240 farmers committed suicide in 2007, 260 in 2008, 154 in 2009, 162 in 2010, 144 in 2011, 146 in 2012, 150 in 2013 and 102 farmers have committed suicide in 2014.

Replying to another question, Mr Maharathi said only 28.9 per cent of the total crop produced in the state come from the irrigated land.

Quoting statistics of the Union Agriculture Ministry, the Minister said 33.2 per cent of paddy , 3 per cent of pulses and 16 per cent of oilseeds are produced in irrigated land and the rest are produced on the unirrigated land of the state.

But the entire crane crop is produced in irrigated land, he said.
Maharathi said 99.5 per cent of paddy in Punjab, 99.9 per cent in Haryana, 97.1 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 93.7 per cent in Tamil Nadu, 90.2 Per cent in Jammu and Kashmir, 61.5 per cent in Gujarat, 61.2 per cent in Bihar ,75.2 per cent in Karnataka, 80.4 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 99.9 per cent of paddy in Rajasthan are produced on irrigated land.BM