Farmers Movement Archive

Experts discuss new farm laws

PATNA: A host of dignitaries deliberated on the new farm laws in a webinar on ‘Putting Farmers First’, organized by the International Growth Centre (IGC) and Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) on Monday. Siraj Hussain, senior visiting fellow, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), said the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system need to bring more competition for better price realization. Sudha Narayanan, research fellow at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), said the new agriculture Acts are more from the perspective of supply-chain factors and less from producers, small and marginal farmers. “There is a spatial inequality in terms of how buyers procure and depends on geographical areas ... The Contract Farming Act will not make any change for the women farmers,” she said. Vikas Rawal, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, felt a greater need to increase investments but whether only these laws will be enough for increasing private investment and may not create greater competition but rather monopolize power. N Vijayalakshmi, principal secretary, government of Bihar, said the diversification of crops is a complex issue but can be done. “Planning of agriculture growth as per the climate of the state can be a regular exercise and the researchers or policymakers can meet and discuss for 10 days before the farming cycle for next steps,” she said. Suhkhpal Singh, professor at IIM-Ahmedabad, said the government is not putting the farmers first on the reform agenda. Prabhat Ghosh stated that reform should be introduced in APMC Act instead of repealing it. “We should address the prevailing challenges. Because the people who create problems in APMC will also create challenges in future for the new reforms as well,” he said.

The Times of India

2020-12-22

Patna