A look at why farmers want to end their lives

> Study shows that for every 1º Celsius of warming above 20º Celsius during the growing season in India, there are 67 more suicides on average > The findings raise alarms, especially with India’s average temperatures expected to rise another 3º Celsius by 2050 > The warming temperature trends over the last three decades was responsible for over 59,000 suicides > In 2016, there were 11,458 farmer suicides — the lowest number in two decades due to a year of mild temperatures and normal monsoon rains > The number of farmer suicides were up by nine per cent in each of the previous two years, both of which were marred by drought > The crime bureau data shows 58 per cent of the 12,602 farmer suicides in 2015 were driven by bankruptcy, indebtedness and other farming-related issues > Farming has always been considered a high-risk profession, and a single damaged harvest can drive some to desperation > Agriculture supports more than half of India’s 1.3 billion people, and farmers have long been seen as the heart and soul of the country > Farmers once accounted for a third of India’s gross domestic product, but they now contribute only 15 per cent of India’s $2.26 billion economy > Poor crop yields, financial devastation or debt, access to easy methods of self-harm, or a lack of community support are some factors that contribute to suicide > Many farmers drink toxic pesticides as a way out of backbreaking debt > Many view the government monetary aid to surviving families as a perverse incentive for suicides > The government recently introduced legislation to subsidise crop insurance aimed at reducing some of the financial risk faced by farmers