Farmers’ associations demand total waiver of farm loans

: Farmers’ associations have demanded that the State Government waive off farm loans completely as promised by the Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, during the Assembly election.

After a consultative meeting held in Virudhunagar on Sunday (September 20, 2026), Southern Districts Farmers’ Association and Tamil Farmers Association issued a joint statement, in which they demanded total restructuring of the crop insurance scheme. Since the premium for crop insurance is collected from every individual farmer, compensation should be paid based on the crop loss faced on the individual farmer’s farmland. The compensation under the crop insurance scheme that has not been paid should be paid immediately, the farmers demanded.

The meeting was presided over by P. Srinivasan, the Tamil Farmers’ Association Madurai district president, and was attended by its State president, O.A. Narayanasamy; the Southern District Farmers’ Association general secretary, M. Archunan; and its state deputy president, Ayyanar.

The meeting resolved to provide drought relief to farmers immediately upon declaring an area drought-affected.

All the dams in the State, including Mettur Dam, Vaigai Dam, Pilavakkal Dam, and Petchiparai Dam, should be desilted. Similarly, irrigation tanks and other water bodies should be desilted and conserved, the associations demanded.

Besides doing away with the irregularities being reported at paddy direct procurement centres across the State, efforts should be taken to procure maize, cotton and chilly also directly from the farmers, the statement said.

The State government should immediately give free power supply to the farmers who have been waiting for long after paying lakhs of rupees for tatkal power supply.

The associations have also demanded ₹20 lakh relief for all the farmers killed in natural disasters like thunder, snakebite, wild animal attacks and electric shock. Similarly, compensation should be given for crops lost due to wild animals invasion.

Instead of supplying spades, crowbars and other goods of inferior quality under concession, the Government should give ₹20,000 incentive towards food production.