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The three farm bills introduced in Parliament aim to reform agricultural trade and commerce in India. Specifically, the bills aim to (1) allow farmers to sell produce outside of APMC markets, (2) establish a framework for contract farming agreements between farmers and buyers, and (3) deregulate food commodities by removing them from the essential commodities list. However, the bills are facing opposition for bypassing state governments' power over agriculture and markets, failing to ensure remunerative prices for farmers, and potentially undermining food security. Farmers remain concerned the bills will disadvantage them in negotiations and reduce government assistance.

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Gauri Garg
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1K views

Radio Feature Script

The three farm bills introduced in Parliament aim to reform agricultural trade and commerce in India. Specifically, the bills aim to (1) allow farmers to sell produce outside of APMC markets, (2) establish a framework for contract farming agreements between farmers and buyers, and (3) deregulate food commodities by removing them from the essential commodities list. However, the bills are facing opposition for bypassing state governments' power over agriculture and markets, failing to ensure remunerative prices for farmers, and potentially undermining food security. Farmers remain concerned the bills will disadvantage them in negotiations and reduce government assistance.

Uploaded by

Gauri Garg
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RADIO FEATURE SCRIPT

Good morning everyone. Welcome to All India Radio today we are


going to discuss about the farm bills 2020.
Three Bills on agriculture reforms were introduced in the Parliament to
replace the ordinances issued during the lockdown 
 The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and
Facilitation) Bill, 2020
 The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price
Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 
 The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

What do the ordinances entail? 

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation)


Ordinance  has following provisions 
 Opens up agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified
Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers
 Removes barriers to inter-State trade 
 Provides a framework for electronic trading of agricultural
produce. 

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price


Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance  relates to contract farming.  It
has following provisions
 Provides framework on trade agreements for the sale and
purchase of farm produce. 
 The written farming agreement, entered into prior to the production
or rearing of any farm produce, lists the terms and conditions for
supply, quality, grade, standards and price of farm produce and
services.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 


 Removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes
from the list of essential commodities. The amendment
will deregulate the production, storage, movement and distribution of
these food commodities. 
 The central government is allowed regulation of supply during war,
famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity, while providing
exemptions for exporters and processors at such times as well.

Why are these bills being opposed?

1. Against the Spirit of Cooperative federalism


o Since agriculture and markets are State subjects – entry 14
and 28 respectively in List II – the ordinances are being seen as a
direct encroachment upon the functions of the States 
o The provisions are viewed as against the spirit of
cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution.

2. No mechanism for price fixation

 The Price Assurance Bill, while offering protection to farmers


against price exploitation, does not prescribe the mechanism for
price fixation. 
 There is apprehension that the free hand given to private corporate
houses could lead to farmer exploitation.

3. Food security undermined

 Easing of regulation of food items would lead to exporters,


processors and traders hoarding farm produce during the harvest
season, when prices are generally lower, and releasing it later
when prices increase.
 This could undermine food security since the States would have no
information about the availability of stocks within the State.
 Critics anticipate irrational volatility in the prices of essentials
and increased black marketing.

What are the farmers’ concerns?


Farmers are apprehensive about getting Minimum Support Price for their
produce. Other concerns include the upper hand of agri-businesses and
big retailers in negotiations, thus putting farmers at a disadvantage. The
benefits for small farmers from companies are likely to reduce the
engagement of sponsors with them. The farmers also fear that the
companies may dictate prices of the commodities. 
What farmers need and are asking for is legally guaranteed remunerative
prices, that the government should commit within the same legislation
to maximum procurement of various commodities tied with local food
schemes, market intervention from the state, agri-credit reforms to
benefit small and marginal holders and particular neglected regions, as
well as reforms in crop insurance and disaster compensation.

Important value additions


 Article 246 adopts a threefold distribution of legislative power
between the Union and the states.
 The subject-wise distribution of this power is given in the three
lists of the Seventh Schedule of the constitution:
o List-I- the Union List
o List-II- the State List
o List-III- the Concurrent List

That’s all for today. Thank you. We will meet again with some
more information.

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