Kerala Church urges action for distressed Indian farmers

KOCHI, Kerala (Indian Catholic News) — The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) has called on religious communities to offer moral and social support to local farmers in distress, bringing their genuine concerns to the attention of relevant authorities through peaceful, democratic means.

The circular, signed by Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil of Thamarassery, patron/national patron and chairman of the KCBC Commission for the Indian Farmers’ Movement (INFARM), announced that the Church will observe Aug. 23 this year as “KCBC Farmers’ Day” across all parishes and institutions.

In the southern Indian state of Kerala, Farmers’ Day is celebrated on Aug. 17 to coincide with Chingam 1—the first day of the regional Malayalam calendar and the beginning of the traditional harvest season.

Unprecedented crisis in agriculture

Addressing the faithful across Kerala, the bishops highlighted that the agrarian sector is currently “passing through an unprecedentedly grave crisis”.

“Farmers across the state are suffering severely due to a sharp decline in agricultural prices, crop destruction caused by wild animals, natural disasters, climate change, and unhelpful government policies,” the circular stated. Extreme weather events such as “heavy rainfall, floods, landslides, and prolonged droughts have severely disrupted the agricultural cycle”.

Furthermore, the document noted that the “unchecked menace of wild animals rendering farming impossible in many regions, along with the lack of timely or fair compensation for damages, has driven farmers into extreme despair”.

Pushed into deep debt

The Catholic leadership highlighted severe market challenges affecting major cash crops. “Furthermore, the sharp drop in prices for essential crops—including rubber, pepper, cardamom, coconut, and coffee—alongside steep increases in production costs, has made agriculture an unviable livelihood,” the text explained.

As a result, “many farming families are being pushed into deep debt and severe distress”.

In response to the growing emergency, the KCBC emphasized that “it is imperative that both the central and state governments take urgent and effective measures to protect our farming community”. The document called for key measures, including:

• “Guaranteeing fair minimum support prices (MSP) for agricultural produce”;
• “Comprehensive crop insurance schemes to cover weather-related losses”;
• “Stringent, practical steps to resolve the human–wildlife conflict”; and
• “Direct financial assistance and interest-free loans to distressed farmers”.

Action and prayer directives

To mark the observance, the KCBC issued specific guidelines for Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, urging parishes to include special intentions during Holy Mass “for the welfare of farmers, peace, and the restoration of the agricultural sector”.

The circular also directed parishes to organise awareness sessions and seminars, publicly honour exemplary farmers and traditional farming families, and promote home gardening, organic farming, and youth participation in agriculture.

“Let us join together in prayer and action to express our heartfelt solidarity with our hardworking farmers, who provide us with our daily food,” the bishops urged.

Full statements available: In original Malayalam and AI‑generated English translation.