FARMER SUICIDE SYNDROME AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THEIR FAMILY IN KARNATAKA
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Date
2023-02-01
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
The present study was carried out in Mandya and Haveri districts of Karnataka during 2019-20. An effort was made to identify the causes for farmer suicides and to delineate the consequences on affected families. A total of 120 samples, 60 each affected and non-affected farmers were selected. The result revealed that, overall mean index value of composite farmer suicide syndrome among pooled affected and non-affected farmers were 2.66 and 1.85 respectively. The mean index values obtained for affected and nonaffected farmers were 2.79 and 1.97 respectively, for Mandya district. Further, for Haveri district affected and non-affected farmers index values were 2.53 and 1.72 respectively. Age, education, farming experience, cosmopoliteness, scientific orientation, information seeking behaviour and deferred gratification were found to have highly significant relationship among affected farmers. Disconnect with the relatives, self-reliance of the wife of affected, huge responsibility on wife and discontinuance of children’s’ education were major social consequences. Reduced income from agriculture and increased outstanding debt of the family were the major economic consequences. Sense of hopelessness and depression of the family members were the major psychological consequences on the affected families. The coping mechanisms to mitigate farmer suicide as suggested by farmers and experts were, provision of easy, timely and sufficient credit at low interest rate (100.00 %), crop insurance (93.33 %), creation of irrigation facilities (90.00 %) and establishment or strengthening farmers markets at hobli or at taluk level (86.66 %).