Draft agricultural marketing policy has state farmers up in arms

Farmers of Punjab are up in arms over the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing announced by the Centre, which, they claim, is an attempt to bring back certain clauses of the three farm laws that led to the longest-ever farmer agitation in 2020-21.

The draft policy, released on November 25, prioritises market expansion and technology, but neglects the issue of fair remuneration to farmers, claim farmer leaders. The announcement of the policy comes at a time when farmers of unions affiliated to the SKM (Non-Political) are protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, demanding a legal guarantee on MSP.

While the policy talks of several initiatives to bring much needed reforms in agricultural marketing with emphasis on digitisation of agricultural trading processes and rationalisation of fees and licences, besides creating a national agricultural marketing portal to integrate all agri markets, the farmers and farm economists feel it is aimed at bringing corporate and private sector into agricultural marketing.

The policy also talks of bringing mechanisms in forecasting prices of agricultural goods to help farmers realise higher prices by selling their produce at the right time.

Agriculture economist Ranjit Singh Ghuman, however, says the policy appears to be aiming at diluting the agricultural produce marketing committees. “It seems it will implicitly bring in some of the clauses of the three farm laws, which farmers of India forced the government to roll back in 2021,” he told The Tribune.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders discussed this at a virtual meeting late last night. They plan to meet leaders of all unions on the issue to demand that the “objectionable clauses” of the draft policy be rolled back.

“We will oppose this tooth and nail. It is an attempt to bring back the three farm laws that were rolled back in November 2021, after a year-long agitation. Under the draft policy, private silos will automatically be declared private market yards and will not have to pay any market fee, thus reducing the fee collected by the state, affecting the maintenance of mandis. Silo managements can also go in for direct contracts with farmers. Is this not an attempt to privatise the established market committees in Punjab?” asked Jagmohan Singh Patiala, general Secretary of BKU (Dakaunda).

Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian has convened a meeting of the PAU Vice-Chancellor, Chairman of the Punjab State Farmers and Farm Workers Commission and the Punjab Mandi Board Secretary on Monday to discuss the draft policy and its implications for Punjab agriculture.