THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The farm legislation, enacted recently by Parliament, are aimed at ensuring self-reliance and more benefits to farmers, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said. Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, he said it is the farmer who has to get remunerative prices for their produce and not the middlemen. Muraleedharan pointed out that the new legislation ensure that farmers get more revenue instead of forcing them to sell their produce at a throwaway price and end in penury.
He said the newly-enacted farm legislation will ensure farmers better price for their produce besides paving the way for getting the price much before harvest. Thus the farmers will not be affected by fluctuations in the market. The minister said it was like providing an insurance cover to the farmer. As per the new legislation, the farmer is the supreme authority. It is the farmer who has the right to fix the price for his crop.
Through the new system, the farmer not only promptly gets the price directly, but also the latest technology, better seeds etc. There is no need for the farmer to go in search for market. Instead, the market will come to the farmer. There will be no hindrance in selling agricultural produce inside or outside states, pointed out the minister.
APMC and MSP to continue
Muraleedharan said the Centre has clearly stated that neither the Agricultural Produce & Livestock Market Committee (APMC) nor the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be abolished. Both will continue and it will be purely the choice of the farmers to sell their produce wherever they want.