Disagreement in politics is the right of the Opposition, but playing with the future of farmers is not healthy politics. Those swayed by the cry of the Opposition should question the Congress whose 2019 LS polls manifesto promised to abolish the mandi Act and remove ban on inter-State trade in agricultural produce 

Thanks to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking revolutionary steps to improve the agriculture sector and to provide new opportunities to farmers for their prosperity. The farmers got freedom from many legal restrictions and we have moved strongly towards the Prime Minister’s determination to double their income.

These reforms were needed for a long time, but despite hollow promises, the previous Governments could not muster courage to implement them.

Today, those who have questioned the reformative efforts of the Government should be asked why they could not take any major and important decision in the interest of farmers even after ruling the country for six decades. Was their political compulsion behind this or some other reasons?

Efforts are being made to create an atmosphere of confusion in the country regarding the minimum support price (MSP). The canard of discontinuation of procurement by the Government at the MSP is being instilled in the minds of the uninformed people.

Also, it is being said the farmers will have no option but to sell their produce outside the market at less than the MSP. First of all, I would like to correct the misinformation. We have clarified many times that the MSP declaration will continue and the Government procurement on the MSP will continue in the future. The MSP or procurement at MSP has nothing to do with the new legislation. Those who question the Government regarding the MSP should know that only after the formation of the NDA Government under the leadership of Modi, the MSP is being determined by adding at least fifty per cent profit to the cost the produce, as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee.  The Government of India declares the MSP of 22 crops.

One of the biggest outcomes of agricultural reforms in the country is that for the first time after Independence, farmers have got freedom from the clutches of middlemen. Till now the farmers were obliged to sell their produce in mandi and only about 30,000 to 40,000 licensed traders doing business in the mandis across the country used to fix the prices of the produce.

Through the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, farmers have not only got freedom to sell produce anywhere, but in today’s technological era, a more convenient mechanism has been created to sell produce through e-trading.  Through this agrarian reform, the farmers can also earn more profit on their produce by saving tax and transportation costs. 

The question is being raised again and again that the new provisions will abolish the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC). Here again, I want to make it clear that the APMC mandis will continue to work. The only difference is now farmers have freedom to sell their produce outside mandis also. These amendments will also provide an opportunity to the mandis to develop their infrastructure and farmers will get more facilities.

Similarly, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 aims to connect farmers directly with traders, companies, processing units and exporters.  The farmers will get remunerative prices in every circumstances as the price of their produce is fixed before the sowing through the agricultural agreement. 

Here, I would also like to clarify that the farmers will get additional benefits under the terms of the agreement along with the minimum price. The confusion is being spread that the land of the farmers will be handed over to the industrialists and traders. On the contrary, the truth is that in contract farming, there will be agreement between a farmer and a businessman to assure the price of produce at least at MSP.  There is no issue of land in this case. No trader can take loan on a farmer’s land nor can any recovery be made against the farmer’s land. This law protects the interests of farmers in a much better way than the existing contract farming act of the States.

Provision has been made to make payment of produce to the farmers within three days of sale. Simultaneously, it has also been provisioned to settle the dispute at the local level within 30 days to preclude court cases. With this step of the Government, farmers will be protected against the risk of price fluctuations in the market due to fixation of the price of the produce before sowing. Along with this, farmers will be able to access state-of-the-art technology, advanced manure, seeds and equipment.

Under the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020, a provision has been made to remove grains, pulses, oilseeds, onions, potatoes, etc, from the list of essential commodities. This will increase the capacity of storage and processing and farmers can sell their crops in the market at a reasonable price.

Till now farmers have been worried about the loss of perishable crops like potato and onion. With the new provisions, the farmers will be able to grow these crops with more confidence. The canard is being spread here that hoarding will increase and traders will earn profits by selling products at inflated rate. This apprehension is unfounded; the Government has retained control of the stock limit as before on increasing the price beyond a limit.

Disagreement in politics is the right of the Opposition but for that, one should not play with future of the farmers. Those swayed by the cry of the Opposition against the revolutionary farm laws should verify facts and read the manifesto of the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that promised to abolish the mandi Act and remove ban on export and inter-State trade in agricultural produce.

In the same manifesto, they had promised to establish farmers’ markets in big villages and towns to provide freedom to farmers to sell their produce. In the same manifesto, the assurance of amendment in the Essential Commodities Act was made. When the same issues are covered in the new provisions, the moot question is why the atmosphere of confusion is being created by protesting against the same.

Today after a long period, a serious effort has been made in the interest of farmers and for improving their condition. Full provision has been made in these Acts to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and all their interests are protected. I will ask political parties to think once again in the interest of the farmers and the nation before whipping up a false opinion.

(The writer is Union Minister, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development, and Food Processing Industries)