Agricultural Loans Surpass ₹28 Lakh Crore; Government Clarifies No Current Waiver Plans

India’s Ministry of Finance recently informed Parliament that agricultural loans outstanding stand at ₹28.50 lakh crore as of March 31, 2025, spread across 17.63 million accounts. However, the government reaffirmed that there are no current plans for a farm loan waiver.

Agricultural loans are financial products that help farmers grow healthy crops. Agricultural loans can be of various types, ranging from short-term to medium-term and long-term, for sowing, harvesting, and even purchasing agrarian equipment like tractors.

Outstanding Agricultural Loans (as on 31 Mar 2025)

Why No Waiver Now?

• Fiscal caution: A nationwide waiver could cost up to 2–2.6% of GDP, adds pressure on already stretched public sector banks.
   
• Moral hazard: Waivers risk encouraging deliberate defaults and eroding repayment discipline among farmer).
   
• Credit squeeze: Previous waivers have tightened future lending, pushing farmers toward informal sources and shrinking formal credit access.
   

The government appears focused instead on improving farmers’ access to credit and timely repayments, under schemes such as the upcoming e-KCC portal, expected to lower the time to sanction loans to just 3–4 days.

Previous Waivers & Role of NABARD

Highlights from Past Waiver Experiences and NABARD’s Role

Loan Recovery Efforts Today

Despite no waiver, rural banks are facing rising defaults:

• In Kolhapur, short-term crop loan recovery dropped from 68% to 75% by June-end, with a ₹490 crore shortfall prompting extended deadlines.
   
• Private banks too, report rising farm-loan defaults due to weak rural incomes and erratic weather.
   

Recent Initiatives

• Maharashtra is supporting 7,000 new PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) with NABARD to boost rural lending and other services.
   
• The rollout of an e-KCC portal is expected to streamline credit and reduce wait times for farmers.
   
• Punjab has shifted away from waivers—its CM now emphasises loan recovery, targeting defaulters and strengthening cooperatives.

The Bigger Picture

While demands for waivers continue, especially amid election year promises—the government’s present strategy leans toward:

• Tougher enforcement for defaulters.
   
• Strengthening PACS and financing infrastructure via NABARD.
   
• Improving loan accessibility and timeliness (e.g. e-KCC).
   

Experts caution that waivers remain tempting electoral tools, yet their long-term socio-economic impact often proves limited or counterproductive.

Conclusion

With a massive ₹28.5 lakh crore farm debt but no waiver in sight, the government is steering toward structural reforms, digitised credit channels, rural banking expansion, and tighter recovery. 

As repayment discipline and agricultural productivity remain at the forefront, continued monitoring of banks’ recovery rates and policies will be key ahead of the upcoming elections.

 

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