Farmer Suicide Prevention
In the wake of unending farmer suicides in India, we analyzed the root of this tragedy. Due to the high cost of cultivation, farmers are forced to take huge loans. Most of them are dependent on single crops, which leads to inevitable disaster if the crop fails. Our team determined that these at-risk farmers need to be provided with appropriate technologies, plus access to technical knowledge and guidance from experts in regard to choosing high-income multi-cropping patterns, and also building assets like animal husbandry to supplement their income. It is vital that they avoid any dependency on middlemen to circumvent exploitation, and connect to online marketplaces to get the best price for their crops.
In collaboration with a reputed Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Karnataka, the Vattikuti Foundation launched a program in a Taluk (Block) of Tumkur district, where the population’s demographic data is known. Self Help Groups (SLG's) and Joint Liability Groups (JLG's) were created for the less fortunate among the population. These groups were given advice on financial management such as benefits of savings and maintaining discipline while repaying loans, and access to livelihood programs such as Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA), farming and handicraft. Our partner NGO formed a Business Correspondent (BC) / Business Facilitator (BF) relationship with a public sector bank, which resulted in group loans being extended to these SHGs and JLGs.
This program today has
successfully distributed
Over ₹ 201 Crores of loans to
2400 SHGs and Joint Liability Groups
encompassing 32,000 families.
