Andhra Pradesh is one of India's preferred destination for global IT firms but it is also home to an enormous tragedy. The tragedy of farmers suicides in Andhra Pradesh has been occurring regularly since 1998, hardly a sudden phenomenon. In the past few months, however, farmers of the region have been ending their lives at an alarming rate (six to 10 suicides per day), even after the inauguration of the new State Chief Minister, YSR Reddy, with promises of prosperity and free power for the agricultural sector. Many of the farmers who felt they had no choice but to shift to the intensive attractively marketed GM (Genetically modified) seeds now face debts caused by unaffordable, spurious inputs such as futile seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, and dry bore wells. Production costs of paddy, groundnut, and cotton in the state are much higher than those of other states, making its farmers uncompetitive in the national market. Although it is commonly agreed that the cost of the seed should never exceed 10 percent of total cost of cultivation, the average groundnut seed costs the farmer almost 40 percent of total cultivation. With little relief from provided government subsidies, this kind of high production cost leaves the average annual income of a farming family in AP at a mere Rs 10,000.

Because farmers cannot procure seeds, social unrest has been on the rise. Reports of violence against agricultural officials surfaced this past June because of a poor groundnut seed supply in the region of Rayalseema. The farmers of Rayalseema have been dependant on groundnut crops since the 80s when the government had restricted edible oil imports and subsidized the seeds. Now that import restrictions have been lifted, groundnut prices have crashed and although the government has attempted to supply farmers with enough seeds, there remains a deficit. Also, the government only subsidizes 38 percent of seed cost and most indebted farmers cannot even afford the remaining majority. Farmers are left with no choice but to buy the seeds from private traders and large farmers on credit, paying exorbitant interest rates.

While subsidies may provide limited assistance to some farmers, growers of cotton and chilli do not enjoy any government subsidies. These farmers buy highly priced seeds and pesticides from private suppliers and, if the seeds fail to germinate, they rarely get compensation.

Though YSR Reddy’s administration has attempted to reverse the damage caused by Chandrababu Naidu’s negligent and anti-poor economic reforms, the state’s suicide crisis will only worsen as long as government officials refuse to recognize the harm caused by the industrial farming models which have penetrated the state. These intensive agricultural methods and their focus on GM cash crops have played a severely detrimental role on the sustainable livelihoods of AP’s farmers. Andhra Pradesh’s Vision 2020 document has identified the state’s intention to reduce its number of farmers to 40 percent of the population with no plan of rehabilitating the remaining 30 percent. This decision to exterminate the state’s farmer population is highly lucrative for the government based on the finances that will be handed over by the profit-driven international agribusiness corporations.

It is important that the state’s government provides more stable financial support to the farmers. Agriculture can be profitable and ensures food security but it takes scientific, political, and economic dedication.