Vidharba, India
In the Vidarbha region, an agrarian crisis in the cotton-growing Amravati district has precipitated an unusual spate of suicides among farmers. Contributing factors include droughts, pest infestations, expensive supplies, a lack of agriculture services, and predatory lenders. The abnormally high suicide rate is an expression of utter hopelessness among farmers, and represents a desperate effort to help their families escape the burden of accumulated debt through their deaths.
Since 2007, we have been partnering with World Vision to provide 260 farmers with irrigation equipment and quality seeds, resulting in a 20 percent increase in yield per acre and expansion by most farmers to a second crop. They have engaged 744 people in cash-for-work activities that improved land productivity, provided 407 people with animals and supplies, organized savings cooperatives for more than 560 people in five villages, and provided exposure tours on soil preparation, sowing patterns, irrigation, horticulture, animal husbandry, and post-harvest technology.
The project’s goal is to secure a fair standard of living for small-scale farmers and their families. The first phase benefited 520 farmers; the second phase reached an additional 800 farmers. In addition to supporting farmers in allied agriculture and non-farm activities, they provide assessment and referrals for distressed and at-risk households.
