New farm Bills putting farmers first by reforming agriculture: Rashmita Saikia

A Correspondent

Haflong: At a time when there has been protest against the new farm bills, Rashmita Saikia, Programme Coordinator (I/C), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dima Hasao claimed that these new farm bills were putting the farmers first by reforming agriculture.

Saikia said that agriculture in India suffered from fragmented and insufficient markets with high market fees and charges, inadequate infrastructure and credit facilities, disparity between agriculture and other sectors despite economic liberalization, information asymmetry and restriction in licensing. These are the major reasons why agriculture in our country needs reform, she said.

With the introduction of Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and facilitation) Act, 2020, farmers will have the benefit of freedom of choice of sale and purchase of their produce at remunerative prices, efficient transparent and barrier-free inter and intra-state trade and commerce outside physical premises of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs). APMCs will continue to function.

This Act provides farmers with additional marketing channels. There will be no bearing on Minimum Support Price (MSP). With the introduction of this Act, payment has to be made to farmers on the same day or within three working days where procedure so requires. This Act also permits online trading.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 provides farmers with legal framework for agreements between farmers and sponsors for purchase of farming produce and provision of farm services entered into before harvest, said Saikia.

Guidelines for model farming agreements by the Central Government will be covered in this Act. Price of the produce will be clearly mentioned in the contract. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 will invoke only in an extraordinary situation like war, famine, extraordinary price rises and natural calamities. Imposition of stock limits can only be based on price rise and can only be imposed if there is 100 per cent increase in retail price of horticultural produce and a 50 per cent increase in the retail price of non-perishable produce.

Furthermore, the farm reform will benefit single unified market. Farmers will have freedom to sell their produce to whom they want and where they want. This reform will end APMC cartel monopoly and MSP will continue to act as safety net for farmers, she added.

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