Rajkot: Crop failure is driving more and more farmers of Saurashtra to commit suicide. In the latest incident, one more farmer has ended his life in Tajpar village of Lathi taluka in Amreli district, taking the toll of farmers to 26.According to police, the deceased, identified as Natha Barad (60), had consumed pesticide on January 31, but he died during treatment at Sir T Hospital in Bhavnagar on Wednesday night.“Barad’s son Vanraj said that Barad had 7 bigha land on which he had cultivated cotton. However, the crop failed due to poor monsoon this year. As he was not in a position to pay the debt, he took the drastic step,” said N D Goswami, head constable with Lathi police station.Barad is survived by his wife and three sons, who work as farm labourers. He had taken a loan from the agricultural co-operative society of Tajpar village.With Barad’s death, the toll of farmers has mounted to 26 in Saurashtra since September 2018. Of the suicides, seven were reported from Amreli district, five from Devbhoomi Dwarka district, four from Surendranagar district, three each from Rajkot and Junagadh district and two from Porbandar.One suicide each was reported from Jamnagar and Bhavnagar districts.

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