New Delhi: Farmers in Punjab and Haryana, two key contributors to the country’s food grain production, rank third and fourth respectively in terms of average agricultural debt per farming household, the Lok Sabha was informed.
Replying to a question by MP K. Saren Kherwal, Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the average outstanding loan per agricultural household in the country stands at ₹74,121.
According to the data shared in the House, the average debt per farming family in Punjab is ₹2.03 lakh, while in Haryana it is ₹1.83 lakh. Andhra Pradesh tops the list with an average debt of ₹2.45 lakh per household, followed by Kerala at ₹2.42 lakh.
Among other states, Rajasthan has an average farm household debt of ₹1.13 lakh, while Himachal Pradesh stands at ₹85,825 and Jammu and Kashmir at ₹30,435.
At the lower end of the spectrum, Nagaland recorded the least average debt at ₹1,750 per farming household, followed by Meghalaya at ₹2,237 and Arunachal Pradesh at ₹3,581.
The figures highlight wide regional variations in farm indebtedness across states, even as agriculture continues to remain a primary source of livelihood for millions of households in the country.
