The Farmer Bill 2020
FARM BILLS 2020 –
FARM BILLS 2020 – In June 2020 President of India promulgated three farm ordinances and in September Parliament of India enacted these farm laws, replacing the previous ordinance. FARMER’S PRODUCE TRADE AND COMMERCE (PROMOTION AND FACILITATION) ACT 2020 This act is creating a barrier-free inner-state and intra-state trade of farmer’s produce For example: If the farmers want to sell their produce outside of APMC(Agricultural Produce Market Committee) to which they belong, no tax and no fee can be imposed neither by APMC nor by State so that farmers have the liberty to sell their produce to other APMCs as well or to corporates. Previously, if the farmers wanted to sell their produce they can either sell it to APMC or outside the APMC to which they belong but for that, they have to pay the bill and taxes and there’s also a way to sell their produce directly to the government based on MSP(Minimum Support Price). MSP is assurance for farmers, government announces MSP so that farmers don’t have to be worried about what the prices going to be in the open market. Farmers protesting against is saying that government is corporatizing agriculture. If the farmers are allowed to sell outside the APMC as well as directly to the corporates, initially they will get the best price but gradually APMC will disappear and then they’ll be left at the mercy of these corporates and they’ll exploit them. That is why farmers want the total repeal of this law.
FARMERS (EMPOWERMENT AND PROTECTION) AGREEMENT OF PRICE ASSUARANCE AND FARM SERVICE ACT, 2020 This act creates a national framework for the contract farming protecting farmers from price exploitation. For example : If corporates wants to buy farmer’s produce they’ll get in touch with farmers and assure them the price that they’ll pay (even before sowing). CONTRACT FARMING was also practised before. Farmers fears that what if tomorrow these corporates binds them to some illogical terms and condition that they don’t understand and because this bill doesn’t prescribed mechanism for price fixation as it doesn’t mention that corporates will pay them about the MSP , what if corporates force them to enter into contract and buy their produce below the MSP and so they want repeal of this law, as well.
ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES AMMENDMENT ACT, 2020 This amendment removes cereals, pulses, oil seeds, edible oil, onion, potatoes from the list of essential commodities. So now anyone can store cereals, pulses, oil seeds, edible oil, onion, potatoes in a bulk except in times of extraordinary price rise, war, famine, and natural calamity of a severe nature. SUPREME COURT STAYED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE LAWS AND APPOINTED FOUR MEMBER COMMITTEE TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE PROTESTING FARMERS AND THE GOVERNMENT
By Aaisha.
