Farm bills 2020: Arguments and debate

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Farmers, especially in the states of Punjab and Haryana, have taken to streets to protest against three farm reform bills 2020 which have been passed by the parliament of the country. The said bills will come into force once they get approved by the president. The three bills that have created a widespread uproar in the country are as follows: 

• Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill facilitating farmers to sell the produce anywhere in the country.
• Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill for contract farming.
• Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill amending the previous Essential Commodities Act to remove onions,  pulses, oilseeds and some other products from the list. It will lift restrictions on the storage of these items.

A common topic for debates and discussions recently, this might appear as a group discussion topic during your admission or placement interviews. So, before we come to conclusions about the benefits or pitfalls of the bill in question, let’s take a look at the arguments given for and against the bill. 

For the farm bills 2020

Let us first take a look at the suggested farm bills 2020 from the government’s perspective. Listed below are reasons why the government of India believes that these bills will bring about a major reform in the agriculture sector. 

• The previous Agricultural Produce Market Committees criminalised setting up of other competing markets. With Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Bill, farmers can now sell their farm produce as per their choice. 
• APMC yards had the issue of middlemen which will now be eliminated as farmers now have a choice to sell anywhere else as well.
• As contract farming is now allowed, it will attract private investments in agriculture. Private investments will help modernise infrastructure. 
• With the end of the monopoly of APMC, the competition to buy farm produce from private players will help fetch better returns for farmers. 
• The amendment in the Essential Commodities Bill will help in stabilising the prices. 
• For instance, if the onion supply is more than the demand, they can store them to prevent the price fall. This will also improve the cold storage facilities in the country.

Against the farm bills 2020

Now that we have a fair idea of why the government believes these bills to be revolutionary, let’s take a glimpse into the perspective of the farmers. 

• Agriculture and trade are state subjects but the states were not consulted before passing the bills. Thus the bills’ legal validity is being questioned.
• The modus operandi for passing the bill in the parliament is considered undemocratic. The bills did not have clear voting, they were passed on a mere voice voting.
• Contract farming may further harm the contracts against farmers. Most of the farmers are uneducated and so would not be able to read and evaluate the terms of the contract with private players.
• It is feared that these bills may result in consequent demolition of the APMC yards which were helpful for small farmers to make price and production choices. In a way, this bill comes as a disadvantage to small farmers.
• Agricultural Economists exemplify Bihar to quote that demolition of APMC yards in the state led to lower MSP for farmers. If these farm bills 2020 finally get implemented, this might happen in the entire country.

Concluding Remarks

Where on one hand, the bills have been passed in the parliament, a debate on their credibility has been ignited on the other. Only time will narrate the outcome/s of this bill and whether or not it will actually go about helping farmers of our country. And though the government is at it, we must ensure that we have a clear picture of both the sides to ensure that we hold unbiased opinions.