Farmers seek crop loan waiver; residents seek infrastructure in their colony

Farmers from Kanarpatti who came to Tirunelveli District Collectorate on Monday to submit petition seeking cancel the crop loan.

| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

Seeking crop loan waiver for all farmers who have availed agricultural loans from the cooperative societies, a group of agriculturists submitted petition to District Collector Anand Mohan during the weekly grievances redress meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday.Led by farmer D. Abraham, district secretary of the Coordination Committee of Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations, the petitioners said the agriculturists had availed loans from the cooperative societies for cultivating paddy during the last ‘pisanam’ paddy season by pledging either their land documents or the jewels. However, due to poor northeast monsoon last year and skyrocketing chemical fertilizer prices, the farmers did not have bumper harvest during the last ‘pisanam’ season, leaving the farmers in debt trap.Hence, the Tamil Nadu government, considering the loss incurred by the agriculturists, should waive the crop loans availed from the cooperative societies, the petitioners said.The farmers also appealed to the Union Government to take effective steps for reducing the fertilizer price, which had reached unprecedented and unbearable levels.“The fertilizer price has increased 200%... However, the price of farm produces has not increased and hence farming is still a gambling and unprofitable venture. Hence, the government should take steps to reduce pesticide and fertilizer prices,” Mr. Abraham said.