Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini disclosed in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha that the state's agricultural sector is shouldering a massive debt burden. The winter session revealed that over 25.67 lakh farmers have outstanding loans totalling Rs 60,816 crore as of September 30, 2025.
District-Wise Breakdown of Agricultural Debt
The data, presented in response to a query from INLD MLA Arjun Chautala, shows a concentrated debt in several key districts. Sirsa leads in terms of total outstanding amount at Rs 6,360 crore from 1,97,992 farmer accounts. Hisar follows closely with the highest number of accounts (2,71,317) holding loans worth Rs 5,934 crore.
Other districts with significant pending amounts include Karnal (Rs 4,673 crore), Fatehabad (Rs 4,411 crore), Jind (Rs 4,073 crore), and Bhiwani (Rs 3,814 crore). This detailed breakdown underscores the widespread nature of the agrarian debt crisis across the state's breadbasket regions.
Government Relief Schemes and OTS Details
In his reply, CM Saini outlined the measures in place to aid farmers, particularly small and marginal ones struggling with repayment. A key relief mechanism is the Zero Percent Interest crop loan scheme for amounts up to Rs 1.50 lakh, facilitated by a 3% interest subvention from the Centre and 4% from the state.
More significantly, the government has implemented One Time Settlement (OTS) schemes. The CM stated that the 2019 OTS benefited 3,08,302 farmers with a waiver of Rs 1,348.40 crore, while the 2022 scheme provided Rs 66.01 crore in relief to 17,847 farmers. The current OTS policy, extended until March 31, 2026, allows farmers to clear only the principal amount to Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) for a 100% waiver of outstanding interest.
"This relief totals around Rs 2,266 crore in interest waived, benefiting over 6.8 lakh farmers and poor labourers across the state," Saini informed the assembly. He added that after settling the principal, farmers become eligible for fresh loans for the next cropping cycle.
National Context and Compensatory Measures
The issue of farm debt is not confined to Haryana. The reply referenced national data cited in the Lok Sabha in August by Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur. It placed Haryana among states with high average agricultural household debt, at Rs 1,82,922, following Punjab (Rs 2,03,249).
To mitigate circumstances leading to default, the state provides compensation for crop losses. A senior officer explained that while loan principal isn't directly reduced, compensation for damage (like the recent Rs 116 crore for Kharif 2025 losses to 53,000 farmers) improves financial capacity to repay loans.
The revelations in the Vidhan Sabha highlight the persistent challenge of agrarian indebtedness, even as state and central governments roll out schemes aimed at providing breathing space to the farming community.
