Who is opposed to farm laws? Farmers or middlemen?

Another farmer from Puri, Samarendra Singh said agriculture is a State subject and the State government should make law that will suit its farmers.
Farmers at Singhu border during their ongoing protest against the Centres farm reform laws in New Delhi Tuesday. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)
Farmers at Singhu border during their ongoing protest against the Centres farm reform laws in New Delhi Tuesday. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Bharat Bandh with the BJD government’s neutral stand was claimed to be a success in the State by political parties opposed to the three new farm laws, not many farmers of Odisha are clear about the new legislation and what way it would affect them.

“Farmers are least concerned about the new farm laws. First of all, most of them are ether illiterate or semi-literate. They have no idea about these laws. They are so preoccupied with their agricultural activities that they have little time to discuss about it,” said Dilip Baral, a progressive farmer of Nimapara in Puri district. 

Baral, who takes demonstration classes on his field for students of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology and Centurion University of Agriculture, said there is nothing wrong in the new farm legislation. “Reforms in the agriculture sector is the need of the hour. The new laws give freedom to the farmers to sell their produce to anyone at mutually agreed price,” he said.

Another farmer from Puri, Samarendra Singh said agriculture is a State subject and the State government should make law that will suit its farmers. It is for the State to decide whether they wanted reforms in the Agricultural Produce Market Act regulating the market committees. “The State farmers have nothing to worry as mandi system in Odisha is not like the one in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The mandis there are controlled by middlemen who are going to be hit by this legislation. They are behind this farmers agitation,” said a senior officer of the Cooperation department.

Arguing strongly in favour of reforms in the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act that allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers produce beyond the physical premises of Agricultural Produce and Livestock Market Committee (APMC), the officer said people who are talking of liberalisation and open market system are opposed to it. Why farmers will be at the mercy of APMC or RMC, he asked. 

“The new law allowing farmers, agri-business companies, corporate and a trader to open their own markets to purchase from farmers is a welcome step. It will promote competition. The RMCs do not have requisite infrastructure but takes commission from farmers for every sale. This is absurd,” the officer said. 
He added that the farmers are being misled that the Centre wants to do away with the minimum support price. 

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