Farmer Sets Fire To His Crops, Ends Life

After setting fire to his pest-affected paddy fields on Tuesday, a frustrated farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in Odisha's Bargarh district on Wednesday.

Villagers spotted Brunda Sahoo lying in his fields in an unconscious state in the morning and rushed him to district hospital where he died. Sahu, along with some farmers, had set his standing crops, cultivated on a half acre land, on fire on Tuesday. They complained that the pesticide supplied to them by the government's Cooperation Department was of inferior quality and failed to save their crop from pest attack.

Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout directed the district administration to inquire into the matter and submit a detailed report within 48 hours. Rout said: "After getting the report of farmer's death and pest attack, I have directed the District Collector to submit a report. Besides, a three-member technical team has been constituted to inquire into the matter."

Over 3,600 farmers, including 474 women, have committed suicide in Odisha during the last 15 years due to crisis in the farm sector. Though compared to states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, there have been fewer suicides of farmers in Odisha, the recent deaths indicate that all is not well in the state’s agricultural sector.