<p>The sharp decline in farmer suicides in Karnataka over the past two years is undeniably a welcome development. Data tabled in the legislative assembly shows that 377 farmers died by suicide in 2025-26 up to mid-November, a dramatic drop from 1,178 the previous year and 1,254 in 2023-24. For a state that has long carried the grim distinction of ranking second nationally in farmer suicides, any reduction deserves acknowledgement. It signals that some immediate pressures on rural households may have eased. The state government attributes this improvement largely to the success of its welfare schemes, stricter action against private moneylenders, and a more humane approach to loan recovery. These measures have indeed played a role. Direct cash transfers to rural families, easier access to low-interest institutional credit, delays in coercive recovery measures, and compensation of Rs 5 lakh to bereaved families have together created a temporary financial cushion. Favourable weather and timely sowing conditions have also helped stabilise farm incomes.</p><p>However, framing this decline as a straightforward success story of government schemes would be an oversimplification of a deeply complex problem. Agriculture contributes less than 15% of the Gross State Domestic Product, despite over 60% of the population relying on it for their livelihood. Northern districts, such as Kalaburagi, Belagavi, and Haveri, remain hotspots, reflecting long-standing regional vulnerabilities. More importantly, the current dip does not guarantee future safety. Agrarian distress in the state has always been cyclical, worsening sharply after droughts, floods, or market crashes. Temporary relief measures are largely shock absorbers, but do little to address structural weaknesses such as heavy dependence on rainfed agriculture, and volatile market prices. As farmer organisations have rightly pointed out, the continued failure to ensure remunerative and predictable prices, including meaningful implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendations, leaves farmers dangerously exposed.</p><p>If Karnataka is serious about preventing a resurgence of suicides, it must use this phase of relative calm to push long-term reforms. Investment in irrigation and climate-resilient farming, expansion of post-harvest infrastructure like cold storage and improving market access are essential. Equally critical is reforming agricultural credit to reduce dependence on informal lenders and embedding mental health support within rural health systems. The recent decline should be read as a warning as much as a relief. It shows that distress can be reduced, but also that without structural change, it can return. The government should ensure that this moment becomes a turning point, not merely a pause in a long and tragic cycle.</p>
<p>The sharp decline in farmer suicides in Karnataka over the past two years is undeniably a welcome development. Data tabled in the legislative assembly shows that 377 farmers died by suicide in 2025-26 up to mid-November, a dramatic drop from 1,178 the previous year and 1,254 in 2023-24. For a state that has long carried the grim distinction of ranking second nationally in farmer suicides, any reduction deserves acknowledgement. It signals that some immediate pressures on rural households may have eased. The state government attributes this improvement largely to the success of its welfare schemes, stricter action against private moneylenders, and a more humane approach to loan recovery. These measures have indeed played a role. Direct cash transfers to rural families, easier access to low-interest institutional credit, delays in coercive recovery measures, and compensation of Rs 5 lakh to bereaved families have together created a temporary financial cushion. Favourable weather and timely sowing conditions have also helped stabilise farm incomes.</p><p>However, framing this decline as a straightforward success story of government schemes would be an oversimplification of a deeply complex problem. Agriculture contributes less than 15% of the Gross State Domestic Product, despite over 60% of the population relying on it for their livelihood. Northern districts, such as Kalaburagi, Belagavi, and Haveri, remain hotspots, reflecting long-standing regional vulnerabilities. More importantly, the current dip does not guarantee future safety. Agrarian distress in the state has always been cyclical, worsening sharply after droughts, floods, or market crashes. Temporary relief measures are largely shock absorbers, but do little to address structural weaknesses such as heavy dependence on rainfed agriculture, and volatile market prices. As farmer organisations have rightly pointed out, the continued failure to ensure remunerative and predictable prices, including meaningful implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendations, leaves farmers dangerously exposed.</p><p>If Karnataka is serious about preventing a resurgence of suicides, it must use this phase of relative calm to push long-term reforms. Investment in irrigation and climate-resilient farming, expansion of post-harvest infrastructure like cold storage and improving market access are essential. Equally critical is reforming agricultural credit to reduce dependence on informal lenders and embedding mental health support within rural health systems. The recent decline should be read as a warning as much as a relief. It shows that distress can be reduced, but also that without structural change, it can return. The government should ensure that this moment becomes a turning point, not merely a pause in a long and tragic cycle.</p>
