Tamil Nadu Farmers Stage Token Hunger Fast in Krishnagiri, Demand Full Crop Loan Waiver

Key Takeaways 

• On 22nd June 2026, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Paadhukaapu Sangam observed a symbolic hunger strike in Krishnagiri to seek a universal loan waiver in Tamil Nadu.
   
• On 16th June 2026, Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay extended the cooperative bank loan waiver scheme up to ₹75,000 for crop loans. It was for borrowed between 1st May 2025, and 28th February 2026, which benefits 14.43 lakh farmers.

Why are Krishnagiri Farmers continuing their protest despite extending loan waiver on June 16?

Farmer groups of Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Paadhukaapu Sangam had met at Gurubarapalli, Krishnagiri, Tamilnadu on 22nd June 2026. These farmers organised a token hunger strike to seek a universal loan waiver from the government. Protesters claim that the state government has not announced the complete waiver scheme as promised in their manifesto.

This protest comes six days after the government expanded the loan waiver on June 16, 2026. Under the new plan, cooperative bank loans borrowed between 1st May 2025, and 28th February 2026, have received complete waiver up to ₹75,000. Loans over ₹75,000 will get ₹35,000 as relief. 14.43 lakh farmers are likely to get a support of ₹5,932.23 crore from this scheme. 

What is the waiver gap? What it means to farmers of Tamil Nadu? 

The protest in Krishnagiri is not an anomaly. According to RBI’s Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, agriculture sector of Tamil Nadu is showing a negative growth in 2023-24 and 2024-25. The farm crisis accumulated on back of two back-to-back bad seasons, and ₹75,000 cap on a loan amount does not absolve much.

The June 16 waiver supports and skips:

\What are Experts saying? Is there a Fix?

Climate is the root problem, researchers say. There were losses between 15%-25% of yields of wheat due to heat waves in India during recent times. Every increase of 1-degree temperature results in the loss of an estimated 8% yield on an average in the nation. Debt follows crop failure. Waivers follow debt. The cycle repeats.

R. Gopinath, Principal Scientist at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), puts Tamil Nadu’s exposure in numbers. Paddy makes up 35% of the state’s total cultivation. The remaining 65% is traditional and horticultural crops. That mix makes losses unpredictable and wide. He also flags crop insurance as a broken safety net. 

Compensation to farmers, especially after floods, remains extremely low. As stated by him, it seems to be an act of formality and not of relief.

503 cases of farmer suicide were reported in Tamil Nadu in 2024 according to the data by NCRB. Loss in crops leading to debt is the immediate cause. Scholars believe that one-off waivers will not help break the cycle. Agronomists are asking for institutional reforms which include financial safeguard provided by the state to farmers every time they suffer a loss.

Conclusion 

The Krishnagiri farmer agitation held on 22nd June, 2026, clearly spoke out against the limit of 75,000 waivers. ₹5,932.23 crore was spent to provide waivers to ₹14.43 lakh farmers of the state. However, the Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Paadhukaapu Sangam says this has a too-narrow scope and too-tight timeline. Until the government expands the waiver to include all categories of loans, all lenders, and all years of borrowing, farmers will continue to protest.

FAQs

Why were farmers in Krishnagiri on hunger fast on 22nd June, 2026?

The hunger protest staged on June 22, 2026 was in response to Tamil Nadu government’s decision to extend loan waiver to just 75,000 farmers under the cooperative bank, excluding commercial bank loans and loans taken prior to May 2025. Farmers say this breaks the party’s manifesto promise of a full, universal crop loan waiver.

How does the Tamil Nadu government's ₹75,000 waiver cap compare to its manifesto promise of a full crop loan waiver?

The Tamil Nadu government promised a 100% crop loan waiver but capped relief at ₹75,000 for cooperative bank loans taken only between May 2025 and February 2026. Farmers with higher loans get just ₹35,000. Commercial bank borrowers get nothing.