Bhopal: There is a strange contrast in the farmlands of Madhya Pradesh, a state where agriculture is powering the economy. While 24 farmers have committed suicide over the last three weeks due to crop loss and failure to repay loans, agriculture is yielding handsome returns for 18 ministers of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet.Ask agriculture minister Gauri Shankar Bisen and he starts gushing about the state's achievements in farming — growth of 26% this year, the third consecutive year that growth rate has been above 20%, five Krishi Karman Awards. "Our state was honoured twice for recording the fastest agriculture growth for six years and highest agriculture production in the country," he said.Why are farmers in trouble then? Bisen quickly lost his effusiveness. He dodged the question, saying: "I will discuss it once I reach Bhopal."Information given by MP ministers in affidavits to the Election Commission in 2013 polls shows they are making lakhs from farming. Why then are farmers with the same amount of land killing themselves?As many as 18 of the 20 cabinet ministers have shown 'agriculture' as one of their key sources of income. The list includes the likes of Narottam Mishra, Gopal Bhargav and Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, Rampal Singh, Bhupendra Singh, Antar Singh Arya, Om Prakash Dhurvey and Vijay Shah. In fact, Mishra, Bhargav and Pawaiya have mentioned agriculture as their sole source of income.In the 2013 affidavit, Mishra has given his annual income as Rs 13 lakh per annum. When TOI asked Mishra if he could share a few 'tips' with farmers on how to make farming profitable, he didn't seem too happy and hung up with the words: "Tu aa ja, baith ke bata dunga (You come over, I'll tell you in person)."Cabinet colleague Bhargav was willing to spare more time — and advice, if not to farmers then his party workers. He believes farm suicides can be "controlled by the local leadership". "Farming is profitable in my constituency. Not a single farmer has committed suicide here. I believe that timely intervention by local politicians and necessary support can avert such incidents," he said.Local netas should ensure that help is available in times of need to farmers, he said. "There are so many welfare schemes, but farmers are not able to avail them. It is the responsibility of the local leadership to ensure that farmer gets the benefits of the schemes when he is in need. If his problems are solved, then the farmer will not commit suicide. Life is precious," Bhargav, the social justice minister, said.Many of the farmers who killed themselves had the same amount of land as some ministers. For example, Vijay Singh of Sehore, whose family owned 20 acres — nearly twice as much as Pawaiya and close to Mishra — couldn't repay his debt because his crops failed."Vijay Singh was depressed because he was not able to get proper yield of his crop and was reeling under debt of Rs 5 lakh, mainly because there is no irrigation system. The ground reality is that farmers take loans from private money lenders to pay the interest on bank loans so that they do not become defaulters," Congress MLA Shailendra Patel said. Singh was from Patel's constituency.The gap in earning has led Congress to remark that before thinking of suicide, hapless farmers of the state should go to these ministers to "learn the art of making money from crops". "You won't find any BJP minister from a farming background reeling under debt. Farmers should learn the secrets of farming from these ministers. They have amazing skills," remarked K K Mishra, Congress spokesperson.

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