Activist Tiwari warns as 21 farmers take their lives in Yavatmal, Maharashtra in Jan 2026

Kishore Tiwari, former chairman of Maharashtra’s Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) and a long-time agrarian activist, has raised alarm over the continuing farmer distress in the state. According to him, 21 farmers in Yavatmal district alone died by suicide in January 2026 , reflecting the deepening crisis in rural Maharashtra. Tiwari shared an official list of the deceased and criticized government efforts for failing to address the structural causes of farmer distress, such as mounting debts, crop failures, and insufficient support systems.

The leeward (rain-shadow) side of the Western Ghats , which includes large parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada, faces harsher climatic conditions than the windward region. Erratic rainfall, frequent droughts, and inadequate irrigation make farming highly uncertain. Districts like Yavatmal, although not in the Ghats themselves, rely heavily on monsoon rains, and poor water management further increases the risk of crop failure.

The main causes of farmer suicides in Maharashtra and specifically in Yavatmal include chronic debt burdens, repeated crop failures, low prices for produce, rising input costs for seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and labor, and limited access to affordable credit . In Yavatmal, where cotton and soybean dominate as cash crops, price fluctuations and high cultivation costs often leave farmers unable to cover expenses, pushing them into unsustainable debt cycles. Even when crops succeed, earnings are frequently insufficient to repay loans, creating persistent financial distress.

To mitigate the crisis, the Maharashtra government has launched several initiatives. Mission Ubhari Abhiyan provides immediate financial assistance, access to welfare schemes, and psychological and social support to distressed families. In Yavatmal, district officials have personally distributed aid and scheme certificates to eligible beneficiaries. In addition, state loan waiver programs , including the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Shetkari Karj Mukti Yojana , have relieved some farmers’ debts, though such measures are often criticized as short-term fixes that do not resolve systemic issues.

Tiwari and other experts stress the need for long-term, structural reforms. These include guaranteed minimum support prices that reflect real cultivation costs, expanded irrigation and water management systems, crop diversification incentives toward resilient options like millets and pulses, and a long-term affordable credit policy. They argue that without these measures, the cycle of debt, crop failure, and distress will continue, keeping farmer suicides a tragic reality in Maharashtra even in 2026.

The situation in Yavatmal and across Vidarbha underscores the persistent vulnerability of small and marginal farmers , highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive policies that go beyond relief packages to ensure sustainable livelihoods and reduce agrarian distress.