Farmers die by the dozen in Vidarbha every week. Every 13 hours a farmer commits suicide.  In first ten days of November 2011, 14 farmers committed suicide. Taking toll to 671. “This is the official number. The deaths not recorded as suicides by the police would be another 250-300. The promotion of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and modified seeds has really been the reason of this tragic state of agriculture in Vidarbha, The core problems like rising production costs, falling prices, reducing productivity, food security and efficient crop insurance remain to be addressed,

Last year, the Centre put unnecessary restrictions on exports - denying farmers an opportunity to make it big. In the process they lost a market worth Rs 30,000 crore. At the national level Maharashtra is the main state thats cultivating Bt.cotton in around 52 lakh hector, which is around 40 percent of Indian cotton cultivation. Moreover, the agrarian economy of Maharashtra is completely based on cotton production and prices hence urgent intervention from Government is desirable at the earliest.

Every time the petition is signed, an e-mail with the petition letter goes out to several officials, who need to hear your voice loud and clear. So, please express your solidarity with the  farmers  by signing the petition.