Dr. R. A. Patil:
* Degradation of farmers in the guise of progress *
The purpose of this article is not political but economic and social. Once again, the purpose of this article is to take a closer look at how laws that are not political will affect ordinary farmers and consumers in general and whether these effects will be pleasant will lead to serious economic and social problems and what exactly needs to be done to make these laws effective. Is the main topic of the article.
The Modi government has passed three new agricultural trade laws in Parliament. This has a direct impact on farmers, agricultural land, buying and selling and trading methods of agricultural commodities, processing industries from agricultural commodities to consumers of agricultural commodities.
I like to read and study the law in its original form before commenting on it. Although these three laws seem to be complementary to the progress of agriculture, Prakash realizes that the far-reaching effects of the study will not be pleasant as agriculture is dependent on nature and the vagaries of nature have increased nowadays.
What are these three laws about?
The first stops the compulsion to buy and sell agricultural produce in the manner of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee,
The second raises the limit on storage of agricultural commodities
The third allows agriculture by contract
Let us now look at the provisions of these three Acts and their consequences
What is the purpose of compulsory sale from the Agricultural Produce Market Committee itself?
Market control and more reliable and transparent trade. Although the history of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee system dates back to the end of the nineteenth century, I think the 1930s and 1970s were a major period of process development.
Why are changes being made?
Ease of trade by reducing controls on trade, reducing the barriers to storage and distribution of agricultural commodities and boosting the processing industry. Ease of trade by reducing controls on trade, reducing the barriers to the storage, distribution and processing of agricultural commodities. These major objectives have been put forward.
What will be the consequences and how to deal with them?
Agricultural processing as well as large distribution chains of agricultural commodities can be resorted to contract farming and direct purchase and storage as required. Farmers can get more promising opportunities to buy crops that do not have guaranteed prices. If the agro-processing industry is successful, the country's economy will get a boost. It should not be forgotten that credit to agriculture will increase to a greater extent.
Also, it is not clear how the farmers who do not want to do contract farming will be able to buy and sell their produce
Will the government close the guarantee price system?
I don't think the BJP government will underestimate its commitment to food security because even the WTO negotiations were stopped by the BJP government on such an issue. It is also announcing a single ration card across the country, so it is more likely that purchases will continue at a guaranteed price.
The second law raises the limit on storage of agricultural commodities
Stockpiling and prices of agricultural commodities are likely to get out of hand.
Under the new law, there will be no limit on storage of agricultural commodities. Therefore, entrepreneurs will get direct access to agribusiness on the basis of this Act. Entrepreneurs and traders can abuse this law for profit by making huge stocks. The new Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill does not provide clarity on how to control the situation if traders and industrialists decide to buy agricultural commodities from farmers at low prices and create a shortage of agricultural commodities in the market for profiteering. This is a big shortcoming in the law.
Even so, the central government has generally focused on controlling the market prices of agricultural commodities on the strength of imports and exports of agricultural commodities - inflation can be controlled by importing or stopping exports if need be, unless there is a problem with foreign exchange reserves. . Since agricultural products are perishable, the chances of prolonged stockpiling are virtually low. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person.
Farmers will have to produce as the companies say and there are fears of getting lower prices.
Problems: At a time when global trade is likely to be more open, the problem is how much the government can interfere in imports and exports in the future. It is okay to reduce other market controls, but the information system on the availability of agricultural commodities is important for information and control over market prices. But that doesn't seem to be the case.
Employment opportunities may increase if the agro-processing industry grows, but it is a matter of concern as to whether the handicraftsmen are getting stronger or not. The trade in agricultural produce has not been introduced to the extent that modern technology was supposed to be introduced, nor has it been given the impetus to promote technology.
The co-operative movement has been politicized but no alternative arrangements have been made. When government controls are reduced, co-operative options do not seem to be getting the better of them.
Now the third important law is to allow farming by contract
The main provision of this is to bring together the pieces of agriculture in the name of a company by signing an agreement with the company, to expand the agricultural land, to remove the dams and to promote integrated agriculture. Determining the quality and price of the goods in advance and paying the money in advance and allowing the company to build a semi factory outside the company's office building is the real nail in the coffin and the farmer will not be able to go to court for any reason but will have to ask the District Collector.
Even if the officer rules against the farmer, the farmer will not be able to go to court.
Although the company will collect a number of agricultural lands and undo the termination of the broken dam contract, it is necessary to write the contract properly so that it can lead to further disputes.
The question is how many educated and well-educated farmers do we have who will realize the details and terms of the contract in time? If any dispute arises, can your statement be presented to the authorities within the framework of law? Will the experiment succeed in a country of smallholder farmers like India when the contract farming experiment has failed in the world? The Act does not provide for the exclusion of bogus companies from contract farming. There is no clarity in the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Guarantee Agreement and the Agricultural Services Bill (Contract Farming) Act that the full interest of the farmers will be safeguarded in contract farming and no pressure mechanism will be used on the farmers.
Can farmers negotiate competently in the contract system?
Will there be commercial interest in signing contracts with many small farmers?
And even if the big companies make agreements with the small farmers, there will be difficulties in taking back the small farms that will be part of the big farms of the big companies.
This could lead to disputes as the company will build on the farm and build a semi-factory space for offices and agricultural products.
The company refused the crop; The farm has not been undone and the possession of the construction has not been released. Even if the contract is canceled, you will not be able to go to court. You will have to go to the province and the collector.
The money taken by the farmer in advance is less than the quality of the crop due to nature. It is not clear in the law how the company will recover the money paid in case of loss of agricultural produce.
If Kannani breaks the contract by returning the money in return for the money sunk in the contract, or if he stays in the contract and pays the company till the money is paid, or if the amount is too much, then the farmer will be in trouble, otherwise the contract will be settled.
Because of today's changing nature, agriculture has become an unreliable business. Frequent fluctuations in nature are causing irreparable damage to agricultural commodities and in such a situation, it would be unwise to fix the quality of goods, prices and pay accordingly.
All these should be taken into consideration. The focus of these three new laws is on farmers, traders, brokers, consumers and contractors. These five factors are going to be affected by this law. Of these, the impact on consumers and merchants will be zero or nominal. The broker will adjust to the loopholes in the new system. The contractor is a new class in this field. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. The last factor is the farmer who is at the center of the law. He, however, is ignorant of this law. He does not know how much he will benefit from this law. But the disadvantages are obvious.
The flaws in the new law are now noticed by all. While removing them, the Central Government needs to make the requisite amendments to these laws in good faith and in the interest of the farmers and consumers.
Even though these laws seem to be beneficial, isn't the government aware that they are bringing back feudalism in the form of companies? This law needs to be amended. The first and second laws need to create alternative arrangements and make provisions so that stockpiling is not misused. The third law needs to be repeated completely. Company interference between agricultural land and farmers can be very dangerous and can lead to serious economic and social problems. There is a strong possibility that the farmer will remain a casual laborer in his own field and it will not go unnoticed.
* Author: Dr. Reshma Azad Patil *
* Nipani *
* Mo. No. *: 7411661082
* WhatsApp No: * 9901545321
* E-mail: * reshmaazadpatil@gmail.com*
Extelent
ReplyDelete