Here’s why farmers are opposing the new Farm Bills
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New legislation
The Modi government in the monsoon session of Parliament passed three bills - Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill - which aim to make the agricultural sector freer than before.
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Protests abound
First protested in the House by Opposition MPs - who were consequently suspended - the protests have now spread across the country, with farmers holding up trains in Punjab and life coming to a standstill in Maharashtra.
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Deregulation
All three bills aim to deregulate the agricultural market mechanism, which is tightly controlled by traders and producers. The new bills will make it far easier for corporates, traders and customers to directly procure produce from farmers.
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Fear the machine
Most farming unions and bodies fear that relaxations like this will end up making it much easier for corporations to control the pricing of farmers’ products and in the long run, control the entire market machinery.
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Not happening, says Centre
However, the government says that deregulation will help farmers get more value for their produce by cutting out the middlemen, while experts say private investment could boost India’s struggling agriculture sector.