Tamil Nadu government set to announce broader crop loan waiver

Farmers' representatives met senior Tamil Nadu ministers on 7 August, pressing for a full waiver of crop loans and higher procurement prices – Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane. The delegation, led by P. R. Pandian of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers’ Associations and P. Ayyakannu of Desiya Thenindhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, said the ministers, including R. Vinoth, A. Arjuna, N. Anand and C. T. R. Nirmal Kumar, assured that the demands would be taken to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and announced in the Assembly.

The meeting also touched on the Cauvery water dispute, with Pandian urging legal action against Karnataka for alleged water withholding and compensation of Rs 1 lakh crore. Earlier that day, farmers staged a road‑block protest at the secretariat, were briefly detained and then released.