KNOW THE BILLS

Why are farmers of Haryana and Punjab protesting?

Three Ordinances have been passed by the Centre:

1. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) ordinance, 2020

2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020

3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020

But the farmers are against these ordinances. Why?

Farmers expressed their outrage over the passage of these ordinances by the Centre which they call as “anti-farmer” They believe the ordinances will lead to the destruction of the peasants & will expose them to the whims of the market forces.

1 The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, seeks to give freedom to farmers and traders to sale and purchase of their choice. It promotes the inter-state and intra-state sale of farmers’ produce outside the local markets.

2 The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to frame national guidelines for trade agreements between farmers & agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services & sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework.

3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, seeks to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 that empowers the central government to control the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce in certain commodities.

What do farmers have to say?

The farmers say that these bills will lay the foundation for suspension of the minimum support price (MSP) system. They also fear that the traditional grain market system will be finished and small farmers will suffer loses as they won’t be able to seal an agreement with big retailers or wholesale buyers.

What is Government Saying!! The government is of the view that these Bills are pro-farmers and will open new businesses opportunities for farmers that will result in higher prices of their produce and hence increased income.

Farmers also fear that once big private companies will enter the agriculture sector, they will capture it and traditional wholesale markets will shut. What is your say on this?

#farmersprotest