Farmers Movement Archive

PM Modi defends agri reforms, says farmers have flourished when freed from mandi restrictions

NEW DELHI: Explaining the utility of the farm reforms criticised by the opposition and a section of farm organisations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cited instances of a large number of farmers who had benefited from being allowed to sell farm produce outside the precincts of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees or mandis. Dwelling on the farm sector during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address, Modi said farmers had flourished when freed from the restriction of selling at mandis only, adding that they would now have complete freedom to sell. The PM lauded farmers for strengthening the country's agriculture sector and said the farm sector played a major role in building a self-reliant India. “The stronger it is, the stronger will be the foundation of a self-reliant India,” he said. He pointed to rise in incomes of farmers who benefited from innovative practices and options to sell their produce. The PM said he had received many letters from farmers and interacted with some groups to know that changes in agriculture, new dimensions and innovations were giving it strength. He cited examples of farmers from Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh who narrated how they had benefited and made bigger profits by selling their farm produce directly to buyers of their choice, in some cases, even five-star hotels. Modi said similar benefits would now percolate to farmers across the country, where they would be outside of the clutches of middlemen even as they got remunerative prices. “Now, they have got freedom to sell not only fruits and vegetables but whatever they produce — paddy, wheat, mustard, sugarcane — anywhere they get a better price,” he said. Though the PM made no direct reference to the contentious farm bills during his speech, the emphasis on removing mandi restrictions was aimed at quelling the opposition-led criticism around the laws as “anti-farmer”. The government has quickly announced MSP to counter allegations that the system will be done away with. These bills, the government has said, will allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere they want at a better price. Citing the example of a Gujarat farmer who adopted innovative methods to grow potatoes which were being bought by big companies, Modi said the agriculture sector would benefit immensely with greater use of technology. In his Sunday address, the PM also remembered Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhagat Singh, Jai Prakash Narayan, Nanaji Deshmukh and Vijayaraje Scindia ahead of their birth anniversaries. The PM also requested people, once again, to wear masks and ensure physical distancing to fight coronavirus. Watch PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat': Full speech

The Times of India

2020-09-28

India