Farmers plight due to liberalisation: Reddy

Hyderabad, Jun 19 (UNI) More than two lakh farmers had committed suicide and 71 lakh abandoned farming in the wake of liberalisation in India since 1991, Communist Party of India (CPI) National Council Member Suvaram Sudhakar Reddy alleged today.

Quoting the figures of Union Home Ministry, Mr Reddy said escalating number of suicides could be attributed to debt, lack of institutional financing and increasing cost of production.

He said the shift suggested by census report was a wake up call for the farmers organisations and political parties to jointly combat the conditions imposed by the WTO in the farm sector.

Mr Reddy was participating in the panel discussion in the stakeholders' workshop on 'Opportunities and Challenges of Globalisation in Agriculture and allied sectors in Andhra Pradesh' organised by Consumer Guidance Society, Vijayawada and CR Foundation, Kondapur Attributing to the WTO and other agencies for dismal status in agriculture sector, he said despite increase of 30 per cent credit by the Union Finance Minister this year, small and marginal farmers would be left out without the wherewithal to access institutional finances.

He said crop insurance also would bypass them as they did not have proper documentation for availing loans and hence sought the help of private money lenders.

He suggested India should make the case along with developing countries to break 'the machinations of the WTO.' UNI DB/ASJ MP PM2139