Farmers pay tribute to agrarian rights martyrs in Coimbatore

Members of the Vivasayeegal Sangam, a non-partisan farmers’ association, observed Uzhavu Day on Sunday (July 5, 2026) with a rally followed by a memorial meeting at Brindhavan Auditorium in Chinniyampalayam, Coimbatore, to pay tribute to farmers who lost their lives during agrarian rights struggles between 1970 and 1984.The association adopted several resolutions urging the Union and State governments to extend the crop loan waiver to livestock loans, revive the government-subsidised livestock insurance scheme, raise the milk procurement price to ₹45 a litre, provide subsidised cattle feed, and support installation of solar-powered electric fencing to mitigate crop damage caused by elephants. It also sought dedicated market space for naturally grown produce in Uzhavar Sandhais and stricter monitoring of industrial effluent discharge into groundwater and waterbodies.

Among the other demands were amendments to the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act to strengthen governance and accountability, regularisation of tenancy rights of cultivators farming temple lands, extension of crop loans to sugarcane growers supplying jaggery units, removal of encroachments from waterbodies, and adoption of treated wastewater technologies for agriculture.The association also sought enhanced compensation for crop losses caused by natural calamities and wildlife, promotion of indigenous edible oils through the public distribution system instead of subsidised palm oil imports, measures to address the shortage of coconut harvest workers through skill development, and protection of the interests of the agriculture and livestock sectors in bilateral trade agreements. Published - July 05, 2026 05:59 pm IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove Related Topics Coimbatore