Award-winning farmer dies by suicide in Kannur, debt suspected

A 62-year-old award-winning farmer allegedly died by suicide after consuming pesticide at Cherupuzha in Kannur district , with mounting financial liabilities suspected to be the reason, police said.

The deceased, Ambattu Elias of Idavaram in Cherupuzha, was found in a critical condition at his farm three days ago, according to family sources. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the district but succumbed on Thursday.

Family members said Elias was facing severe financial stress, with debts running into several lakhs of rupees . While he had availed loans from formal banking channels for cultivation, a portion of the liabilities was reportedly from private sources as well, adding to repayment pressure. Despite planting around 2,500 banana saplings this season on leased land, his income reportedly fell short due to a combination of high input costs and unfavourable market prices.

Elias had been cultivating vegetables and bananas on leased land for nearly four decades in the hilly regions of Kannur and neighbouring Kasaragod district. Known among local farmers for his dedication and innovative practices, he had received awards from agriculture-related agencies and local bodies in the past for his farming efforts, family sources said.

The family said Elias had received assistance under some government agricultural schemes earlier, but the support was insufficient to offset recurring losses and rising cultivation expenses. He is survived by his wife and children, who are now facing financial uncertainty following his death.

Local farmers said the incident highlights the persistent crisis faced by small and lease-land farmers in the region, including volatile crop prices, rising costs of fertilisers and pesticides, and limited access to timely institutional credit. Many farmers have been demanding better price support mechanisms and more effective implementation of welfare schemes.

Officials said farmer welfare schemes, including crop insurance, debt relief measures and ex gratia assistance in cases of farmer deaths, are available, and the family can apply for eligible benefits. Revenue and agriculture department officials have sought a report, while police have registered a case and initiated further proceedings.

The incident has once again brought focus on agrarian distress in the district and the need for sustained support to farmers cultivating on leased land.