Heavy debt burden accounted for 88% of farmer suicides that occurred inPunjabbetween 2000 and 2018 a period that witnessed 9,291 deaths — finds a new study based on a primary survey by thePunjab Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture University(PAU). Of these, more than 77% were those of marginal and small farmers.
The study was aimed at an objective assessment of the incidence and causes of suicides by farmers in the districts of Barnala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga and Sangrur. Among these, Sangrur reported the highest number (2,506) of suicides during the 18 years, followed byMansa(2,098) andBathinda(1,956). Overall, the number of suicide cases was the highest (630) in 2008 and then registered a decline, which could be due to the Debt waiver scheme announced by the Centre that year.