Award-winning Kannur farmer commits suicide amid debt

Kozhikode: An award-winning farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at Cherupuzha in Kannur, reportedly due to mounting financial distress. Alias Ambatt (58), of Ambatt House at Edavaramba, was found in a critical condition after he consumed poison at his farmland in Meenthullu on Wednesday morning. He was rushed to a private hospital in Kannur, where he died at 3.30am on Sunday while undergoing treatment.Relatives said Ambatt had engaged in vegetable farming for 38 years and had received the chief minister's award for the best vegetable farmer in Kannur a few years ago. In recent months, he had struggled with severe financial difficulties and had accumulated debts of around Rs 40 lakh.Residents alleged delays in the disbursal of govt subsidies worsened his financial stress. They said Ambatt had undertaken large-scale vegetable cultivation on leased land, employed hundreds of workers and even cultivated fallow land to expand production."It was the mounting debt burden that weighed heavily on him. He had borrowed money from several people and was distressed that he could not repay them as promised. He had said he was expecting funds from the agriculture department and had he received the money on time, perhaps he would not have taken this extreme step," said a relative.Relatives added that a sharp fall in prices of produce, including plantain, worsened his financial crisis. He had also invested heavily in installing a sprinkler irrigation system and had recently planted over 2,500 banana saplings but failed to secure the expected returns due to the price crash.Irikkur MLA and Congress leader Sajeev Joseph claimed that the suicide of Ambatt was a govt-sponsored murder. "The subsidy meant for farmers was released only after he consumed poison. He had shared his mental distress with many people. Had the subsidy been granted on time, perhaps this suicide could have been avoided," said the MLA.Joseph also pointed to other instances of farmers in high-range regions committing suicide in recent times and demanded that the govt immediately take over the financial liabilities of the dead farmer's family.