Gujarat is witnessing a farmers suicide crisis, with six farmers taking their own lives in the past 25 days. Heavy and untimely rain has damaged crops across 42 lakh hectares, affecting more than 16,000 villages. Many farmers lost their entire income and now struggle to repay loans or support their families.
In Visavadar’s Ishwariya village, 42-year-old Shailesh Savaliya consumed poison after his groundnut and tur crops were destroyed. He feared he could not recover from the losses. Similar tragedies occurred in Rajkot, Vinchhiya, Bhavnagar, and Devbhoomi Dwarka, where farmers chose the same desperate step.
The state government announced a ₹10,000-crore relief package, but farmers say they have not received any payments yet. Long queues, server issues, and delays in issuing land documents like 7/12 and 8-A have added to their frustration. Many complain about unfair deductions in groundnut bag weights during procurement, costing them hundreds of rupees per bag.
Meanwhile, a fertiliser shortage in North Gujarat, including Patan and Bhabhar, has created new challenges ahead of the Rabi season. Farmers wait for hours outside depots for limited stock, unsure how they will continue cultivation.
