Poor garlic prices: Jhalawar farmer attempts suicide

Six days after a debt-ridden farmer committed suicide in Baran allegedly over low price being offered for his bumper garlic crop, another farmer in Jhalawar consumed pesticide to end his life, also allegedly over the same reason, police said Monday.

Bade Singh Lodha (40), a resident of Vaajindpura village in Jhalawar’s Ratlai region was rushed to Government Shri Rajendra General Hospital late Saturday night. He is stated to be out of danger, they said.

Police, quoting Lodha’s family members, said, that the farmer was under severe stress due to low garlic prices in the market. Lodha has cultivated garlic in around eight beeghas.

Earlier, 60-year-old farmer Revadilal Meghwal had ended his life in Baran district on April 18 by consuming some poisonous substance. Revadilal was also under stress due to burden of debts and low prices for his garlic yield. As per official figures from the agriculture department, garlic was cultivated on 1.32 lakh hectares of land in Rajasthan. Of this, Kota accounted for 1.14 lakh hectares. The total production is likely to be 7.18 lakh metric tonnes this year.

Garlic production was around 3.94 lakh metric tonnes in Kota in 2015-2016, while the cultivation area touched the 1.38 lakh hectare figure. Garlic production rose up to 7.87 lakh metric tonnes in 2016-17. The farmers have been getting Rs 60 to Rs 100 per quintal for garlic.

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