Representative image showing a farmer.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mumbai: With 22 farmers reportedly dying by suicide in Yavatmal district in January 2026, veteran farmers' leader and Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti founder-president Kishor Tiwari accused the BJP-led NDA government of having failed to address the agrarian crisis.
Tiwari slammed the NDA government of 'vendetta' and 'victimising' the Indian agriculturists.
"On one hand the Union Budget has nothing spectacular for the farming community and on the other the government has virtually opened the doors for American agriculture corporations to enter India. This will further ruin our farmers," Tiwari said.
Tiwari also released the names of 22 farmers who had died by suicide in January.
"In addition to these 22 farmers, there are 10 tenant farmers who also committed suicide, but since the land records (7/12 extract) are not in their names, these suicides are not officially recorded as farmer suicides by the government,” he alleged.
Tiwari said that in West Vidarbha, which is mainly cotton and soyabean growing region, farmers suicides are being reported since 1998.
“The packages announced by the Congress-UPA and the BJP-led NDA governments have not worked,” he said, adding that what is needed is input cost reduction, providing irrigation facilities in drylands region, soil health restoration, reforms in minimum support price, village base storage and processing facilities.
“There should be a long term credit policy instead of frequent loan waivers, proper incentive for crop diversion from cash crop to millets and pulses,” he added.