KOCHI: Kerala’s agrarian distress has claimed an alarming human toll, with 24,591 farmers and farm workers dying by suicide between 1995 and 2022. That amounts to an average of 1,069 deaths every year, exposing the deepening crisis in the state’s rural economy.
The figures -- presented by Dr Martin Patrick, a retired Maharaja’s College professor and a former principal of the Rural Academy for Management Studies, Kuzhuppilly -- appear in the book ‘Karshika Keralam Pinnitta Arupathu Pathittandukal’ published by the Sacred Heart College, Thevara, and the Organic Kerala Charitable Trust.
In a chapter titled ‘Farmer Suicides and Debt Trap: A Perspective from the Rural Sector’, Dr Patrick notes that Kerala accounted for 4.25% of the country’s farm suicides during the period, with 92% of those who died being men, significantly higher than the national average of 80%.
The crisis has shown little sign of easing. Between 2014 and 2022, Kerala recorded 2,233 farmer suicides. Idukki reported the highest number (453), followed by Palakkad (404) and Thiruvananthapuram (337).
“Debt has become the alpha and omega for farmers—the beginning and the end,” Dr Patrick writes, identifying indebtedness as the principal reason behind the continuing tragedy.
Citing official surveys, he points out that nearly one-third of Kerala’s population is burdened by debt, almost double the national average. According to the 2021 NABARD survey, the average monthly income of a rural household in Kerala stood at Rs 16,788, against an expenditure of Rs 14,778, leaving a modest monthly saving of Rs 2,010. This marks a steep decline from Rs 3,975 recorded in 2016-17—a fall of nearly 48%.
Kerala also has the country’s highest average household indebtedness at Rs 1.99 lakh. Nearly 70% of farmers in the state are in debt, with an average liability of Rs 2.2 lakh, according to the National Sample Survey. A study by the Kerala Independent Farmers Association estimates the average debt at Rs 5.46 lakh.
Beyond debt, the study identifies climate change, wild animal attacks, rising cultivation costs, fluctuating crop prices, and policy decisions as major drivers of distress. Unlike the single-crop suicide belts seen elsewhere in India, Kerala’s crisis spans multiple crops.
Pepper growers in Idukki and Wayanad suffered from import-driven price crashes, while cardamom, banana, ginger, and nutmeg farmers were hit by climate-related losses. Pineapple cultivators faced repeated crop damage from wild animals, rubber growers struggled with higher costs and price volatility, and coconut farmers battled rising input costs and diseases such as root wilt.
In the book’s introductory note, Dr Fr Prasant Palackappillil paints an equally grim picture of Kerala’s agriculture. He notes that despite spending Rs 4,500 crore, agricultural growth slipped from 1.7% to 1.09% in 2014-15.
Cultivable land has shrunk to 19.67 lakh hectares, while paddy cultivation has collapsed from 8.8 lakh hectares in 1970-71 to just 1.76 lakh hectares in 2024-25. The state remains heavily dependent on imports even for its basic vegetable requirements, he writes.
The lower annual average of farmer suicides during 2014-22 could also be a reflection of fewer people remaining in agriculture, with the state’s cultivable area continuing to shrink over the decades.
Scary statistics
Between 2014 and 2022, Kerala recorded 2,233 farmer suicides. Idukki reported highest (453), followed by Palakkad (404) and Thiruvanthapuram (337).
Kerala also has the country’s highest average household indebtedness at Rs 1.99 lakh.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Direct Intervention System for Health Awareness (DISHA)-1056)
