Complete Loan Waiver for All Eligible Farmers Up to ₹2 Lakh: Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne

Farmers Need Not Worry Over Lower Amounts in Lists Due to ‘Haircut’; Loan Clearance Certificates to Be Issued

Mumbai, July 29, 2026: Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne on Wednesday clarified that all eligible farmers with outstanding loans up to ₹2 lakh in Maharashtra will receive complete loan waivers. He said farmers should not panic if a lower amount is reflected in the loan waiver lists due to the ‘haircut’ mechanism, as the remaining amount will be settled through coordination with concerned banks.

Addressing a press conference in Pune, Bharne said the government has released the first list of 16.96 lakh eligible loan accounts, while the second list will be announced soon. He explained that ‘haircut’ refers to the financial settlement formula between the state government and banks and does not mean a reduction in farmers’ actual loan waiver amount.

The minister assured that after completion of the process, eligible farmers will receive certificates confirming that their loans have been cleared, and they will be able to access fresh crop loans from the next day.

He informed that only 3.33 lakh farmers from the first phase have completed e-KYC and urged all eligible beneficiaries to complete the process at the earliest.

Bharne also said that adequate fertilizer stocks are available in the state. In the case of poor-quality soybean seeds, FIRs have been registered against 85 companies and instructions have been issued to replace seeds and provide compensation to affected farmers.

He added that soybean cultivation has been undertaken on 45.10 lakh hectares this year, with complaints received from around 24,000 hectares. The Agriculture Department is working on resolving these issues quickly.

The minister further stated that Maharashtra has received 94% of average rainfall so far and over 84% of Kharif sowing has been completed.