Bengaluru : 13 farmers have committed suicide in the last 20 days in the sugarcane belt of Mandya in Karnataka. Sugarcane prices have fallen and sugar factories have not been always been paying farmers for the crop they have taken and one made an attempt to end his life in the State on Wednesday.

A debt-ridden farmer from Kokatnur village in Athani taluk of Belagavi district hung himself from a tree on his farmland. Annappa Nemgouda (35) had availed Rs 2.50 lakh from three banks and had also borrowed money from money lenders.

Local people said that Nemgouda had sunk two borewells on his land and both of them failed.

Basappa Sharanappa Aski (52) ended his life by hanging himself at Otihala village of Sindhagi taluk in Vijayapura district. He had borrowed crop loans totalling to Rs eight lakh from various banks. Sunil, the son of the farmer, said that the banks had issued notices demanding repayment of the loans.

Hirelingappanavara Ningappa (45) committed suicide by hanging himself at G Kodihalli village in Hagaribommanahalli taluk of Ballari district. He is said to have loan totalling to Rs one lakh.

Somappa Kotrappa Jainara (50) ended his life by consuming poison at his field in Hadagali Bavanur village of Shirahatti taluk in Gadag district. He owned 2.50 acres of land and had borrowed Rs three lakh from a bank.

Twenty-six-year-old A S Madhu was found dead at his sugar cane field in Bharathinagar of Mandya district. He had gone missing from Sunday and it is suspected that he consumed poison on the same day. According to the complaint lodged with the police, he had loans of Rs 5.5 lakh.

Lingegowda (68) hung himself at his house in Dyapasandra village of Mandya taluk owing to debt burden. He used to grow sugar cane and silk and was in distress due to the fall in prices of the produce.

A debt-ridden farmer, who had consumed poison at Jamballi-Kallukoppa village attached to Heddaripura gram panchayat in Hosanagar taluk on Tuesday night, breathed his last on Wednesday. According to police, Devaraj (76) had borrowed a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh and could not repay due to crop loss.

Banagarappa Killera (34) made an attempt on his life by consuming poison at Vadeyanapura village of Hirekerur taluk in Haveri district. Killera, who owns about seven acres of land, is said to have loans of Rs six lakh.

Dejected over poor demand for his produce, a farmer destroyed sugar cane crop he had grown on three acres of land in Kyatanakeri village of Hirekeruru taluk. Gadigeppa Chapparadahalli had grown the crop, spending more than Rs five lakh.

“There were no purchasers for the produce. At last, I sold my crop to jaggery makers at Rs 900 per tonne and all I got is Rs 90,000. Even this purchaser paid me Rs 6,000 less,” he said.