Absolutely, and in more ways than one. State support is not just subsidies. State support came in so many different ways; in the form of R&D, in the form of tremendous amount of extension services which were built over a period of time, in the form of public investment in soil and water management, in the form of timely credit, in the form of provision of inputs, in the form of seeds, fertilizers, etc. So, state support till then was in very many dimensions.

The entire agricultural system, whether in the Gangetic plains or the southern part or the dry areas, was dependant on state intervention in a big way.

And suddenly the state withdrew from the scene…

Yes, withdrawal was not only in subsidies but in all possible ways. In Andhra, we found the withdrawal of the extension services like the provision of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and provision of even the knowledge of what to grow. These were all very important for the farmer.

When the state withdraws, the space vacated by the state is occupied by the private sector. In fact, we found that in Andhra, the private traders from the nearby urban areas provided seeds to the farmers. And this is totally unregulated like any private sector in India. The germination rate of the seeds was just 60 to 70% but the farmer was made to pay for all the 100%. Since it was unregulated, the prices were not controlled.

The same trader also would give pesticides and fertilisers which are completely adulterated. The same trader also would tell them where wells have to be dug, and then they would dig several wells. They also provided the farmers with the credit! All co-operatives have also completely collapsed.

When the farmer is in a desperate situation, only pesticide is available to him.

Which state is the worst hit, Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh?

Both are vying with each other! But in the last few years, the situation is worse in Maharashtra. Within Maharashtra, it is the dry Vidarbha region that is the worst hit, and not the western region.

Image: 75-year-old Indian cotton farmer in Yavatmal, Ragoba Shate, (right) mourns the death of his son Vithoba Shate, 40, who committed suicide by consuming pesticide in April 2006.

To be continued... Photograph: Sebastian D'Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Also read: Why are Indian farmers killing themselves?

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