After the new agricultural law, farmers are afraid of not getting a fair price for their produce, then agricultural experts are telling how apprehensive the farmers are. Read the report of Manish Mishra before the talks between the government and farmers on Tuesday.
1. Agricultural Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act - 2020
Government: Farmers can sell produce wherever they want
The competition will increase and farmers will get better prices. A large market will be found outside the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC). Farmers can sell produce wherever they want. More than a thousand mandis have been added online. More than one lakh business has been done in them. There is no restriction on the MSP to sell the produce. The government gave the MSP one and a half times the cost, as per the Swaminathan Committee report. Earlier there was MSP on few crops, now the number has been increased.
Farmer: Will be like free data
In Bihar, the APMC Act was abolished in 2006, the situation there is worse than bad. There the MSP sells the produce at half the rate. If you give something in the beginning, then the problem increases later. For example, some companies, such as giving Net data for free, later increased the rates. In such a situation, those who came to the port and wanted to go to the old companies, by then the old shops were closed. The farmer will be in a similar situation. There will be no mandis nor FCI will survive.
-Rajinder Singh, farmer, Karnal
The opinion of agricultural experts
There are already private mandis in Maharashtra, the price is not available there….
Farmers are being led astray. We are allowing the sale of agricultural products outside the market. If outside companies come, how will they pay? There are already private mandis in Maharashtra, the price is not available there. MSP is not available on cotton. Is selling below The government gets the price of the thing which starts increasing and the price goes down.
- Vijay Jawandia, farmer leader and expert
Small farmers will be out if they come corporate
When the corporate comes, the small farmers will be out. The farmer understands this. If you take the example of the US, 93% of dairy farms have been closed since the 1970s. Yet milk production in the US has increased. Because a corporate entry has been done. The same situation will happen in India because we have brought these models from there. This is why the corporate will benefit. - Devinder Sharma, Agricultural Economist
Fear the farmers… not to become a puppet of corporate
2. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance Agreement and Agreement on Agricultural Services Act-2020
Government: Intermediation of middlemen and brokers will end
Farmers will be able to do contract farming directly by connecting with companies. Which will give a better value to their produce. The middlemen of brokers and agents will end, if the crop goes bad, the company cannot end the contract. But the farmer will have the right to break the agreement. If the company's profit is high, then it will have to pay a separate bonus to the farmers. Now the risk will not be of the farmer but of the company.
Farmer: Fear of grain crisis
Contract farming has been taking place in the country for a long time. The company gives its expensive seeds to fertilizers and also gives guidelines. The farmer runs towards cash crops. The company comes to farming on its own, so that the food crisis does not escalate. The cost is high. The seeds themselves will also be gone. Do not buy on the basis of quality.
The company tantrums to buy it, it has to be delivered in the same quality, the farmers are not able to meet the standards of not knowing that much technology. In Punjab, if the company did not buy the goods of the farmers, it had to be sent to the open market. Contract farming is done in the whole village of the whole village. A food crisis may come to the village, only one kind of crop will start.
- Sonu Sharma farmer, Mangrauli, Bulandshahr
The opinion of agricultural experts
Contract farming failed
Vijay Jawandia, farmer leader and expert
Contract farming started in the year 1986 in Punjab itself. The Pepsi-Cola Company cultivated potatoes and vegetables from farmers. Later, he started bringing quality. The quality of the crop depends on the season. Similarly, when Basmati rice started breaking in Punjab, the company refused to take the goods. The government says that companies cannot pledge land, but how the revenue officials will decide for the benefit of farmers.
Farmer wants a fixed price
Devendra Sharma, Agricultural Economist-
First of all, people in Punjab pulled out of contract farming, just give us the MSP, make the purchase illegal under it. Farmers all over the world are troubled by the fluctuations of the market. The farmer wants a fixed price. Today the farmer needs direct support. Now the farmer should have Rs 18000 per month. PM Kisan Nidhi's plan has been demanding before the farmers come and hand them over to the market. Can the salary package of economists and bureaucrats also be linked with the market? If the market is so good then what is the problem with them? The farmer will also have no problem.
3. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act-2020
Government's argument: Investment will increase, farmers benefit
Surplus Due to the surplus of agricultural products and reduced investment in cold storage, warehouses, processing units, and exports, farmers are not able to get better prices. With the removal of the stock limit, this further disinvestment of the private sector will increase and farmers' consumers will get benefited from it. The time has come for Brand India to establish itself with a reputation in any of the world's markets. Farmers can also be part of the value chain of biscuits, chips, jam, and other consumer products.