Reason • Gross value addition is relatively higher for fruits and

vegetables and sugar cane, but these crops are not grown in the districts where suicide is more common.

• Over the years, profitability from cotton has declined.• high subsidies by the US leading to price distortions.• poor government agricultural extension service, and a

diminishing role of formal institutions in rural financial market among others.

• To add to this, 2004 was a rain deficient year that affected yield in at least some pockets of the selected districts.

• Indebtedness, deterioration of economic status, conflict with other members in the family, crop failure, a decline in social position,burden of daughter’s/sister’smarriage.

Solution•Availability of affordable credit requires revitalisation of the rural credit market.

•Improving water availability will facilitate diversification of the cropping pattern.

•Improving agricultural extension that addresses

•deskilling because of technological changes and also facilitates appropriate technical know-how for alternative forms of cultivation such as organic

farming will be of help.

•Public health interventions would require improving access to treatment of poisoning cases and psychosocial care