Farmers Bill, " Why aren't our famers happy"

 :Major protesting States against the Bill

Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and 

Karnataka & West Bengal have also showed distaste against the bill.

Three Farm Acts are as follows :

1. Farmers Produced Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Bill, 2020
2. The Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Bill, 2020
3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• On 5 June, 2020, The Farmers Bill was promulgated by the Union Government
• Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on 14 September, 2020, passed in Lok Sabha on 17 September, 2020
• Bill passed in Rajya Sabha on 20 September, 2020
• Got Presidential Asset on 27 September, 2020
• Bill introduced by Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar.

What these Bills actually say!

1. Farmers Produced Trade & Commerce (Promotion &                   Facilitation) Bill, 2020 : 

• Allows Barrier free intra & inter state trade of farm produce
• Farmers can eliminate middleman means can bypass them and can sell their produce directly beyond the premises of APMC market.
• Previously, farm produce was sold at notified wholesale markets, or mandis run by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMC) 
• In 1960s -APMC Act introduced, and was also era of beginning of Green Revolution.
• Each APMC had licensed Middleman or also termed as Aartia who would buy from farmers at price set by auction before selling to institutional buyers like retailers & big traders
• Loophole was, these middleman were deliberately finding faults in crops and then buying from farmers at low price and then selling at high price. Farmers could not sell anywhere else, no uniformity.  
• Multiple buyers, under state government. 

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

• Talks about Contract Farming through an agreement between farmer and buyer before the production on pre-agreed prices.
• Disputes to be handled in three level : Conciliation Board, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Appellate Authority.

3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• Talks about hoarding, proposes to allow economic agents to stock food articles freely. No storage limit.
• The Government can also fix the MRP of any packaged product that it declares an 'essential commodity'. 
• The Centre can add commodities in this list when the need arises and can take them off the list once the situation improves. 

If you want to help the farmers

          Understand what problems they have.

Find solutions rather then deciding on basis of political interest

Why aren't our farmers happy.

• Farmers are worried that this bill expose them to corporates who have more bargaining powers and resources then small marginal farmers. 85% of farmers own less then 2 hectares of land so it's difficult for them to negotiate directly with large scale buyers. 
• Middleman will not go away as this bill will give birth to even bigger middleman as big corporates will never directly negotiate as they won't waste time with small marginal farmers for contract farming. So new middleman channel will be formed.
• These private mandies will lead to ultimate closure of existing APMC. As when buy and sell takes place in private, government will not put proper check in APMC as it requires capital to manage APMC. So in subsequent time APMC will collapse. And farmers would not be left with any option then to go to private.
• No tax charged on private market so corporate will definitely go through this route as to save tax. As APMC holds tax.
• Geographical restrictions, point to remember is before this bill to farmers has the right to sell anywhere they want, major restrictions earlier was on middleman/traders as they cannot sell outside the state. So as per this act middleman is nowhere standing in between. So small farmers may find it difficult to avail potentially better prices at markets further away because of constraints on travel & storage. As this alone require decent capital. As well as familiarity would not be there going to another state. 
• As for govt ( If APMC is closed then this would lead to closure of tax generation of one channel).
• Endangers the jobs of millions who work there (APMC) as Labor, storage, travel, transport, accountants etc.
• Through Contract farming farmers are worried that MSP will be removed/ no. govt. control over prices. Wants contract farming too should have MSP.
• Corporate at starting surely would good prices to farmers and even sell to consumers at low price. But this model never lasts longer as example Amazon started as free delivery of books at any location, then said to have at least 500 minimum order, then started subscription of amazon prime will get free delivery. Then this too changed had delivery chargers on it. Same with reliance Jio at beginning to establish the brand in telecommunication they distributed the free sim with free data for certain period. Substantially increased the prices. So this example shows that the model never lasts longer as ultimately corporate has to see their profit margin. This may not impact us at large but for farmers its their way of living.
  
• Unlimited stock by private players can lead to artificial price fluctuations and low prices for farmers after harvest. 
• Think this bill as 'corporate-friendly' and 'anti-farmer'.
• Not legally empowering the farmers.
• 23 commodities under MSP. Wants MSP as legal right.
• Dispute Redressal in the bills not being practical and quiet weak as SDM has other responsibilities as well. 

 At last its a request to not to defame or discredit the entire movement of farmers because of involvement of political parties. According to me  Bill have some faults and cracks in it which need to be addressed and there is some communication gap as well. And proper documented rule to be there, to give security to the farmers. At least due to this farmer protest we're looking at farmers issues. Else before it we were unaware of what farmers were going through. Agriculture being the biggest profession almost 50% still contribution to GDP is low which is around 15 to 16

16%.

Time to be Rational rather then being Emotional.

The Democracy Story

The Bill while passing through Rajya Sabha, the session was to get over at 1PM but the Deputy Chairperson said it would extend till the bills are not dealt with. As per rule session cannot be extended until & unless taken consensus of the house. If not done then adjourns the House for the next day. But session continued. To pass the bill Deputy Chairperson took the voice vote to gauge how many MPs are in favor of this bill and how many not. So not done in a proper way as its impractical as listening to the voice which so ever is louder declaring the result in favor of that. This voice vote only works when the majority is clear and dispose of sooner to save time. But in this bill it was difficult to declare the result in voice vote. And according to rule book if any one member feels decision of voice vote is incorrect then can go for Decision vote. If voice vote is challenged then chairman must ask for Division. If not done its the violation of conduct.