-Down to Earth Why are farmers protesting the government’s ’reforms’, ask many. A look at how Bihar’s farmers have fared may explain The recent controversy about India’s newly minted farm laws have brought back into focus what Nitish Kumar did a decade-and-a-half ago: Shutting down the mandi (wholesale markets for agricultural produce) system in 2006. The much-touted ‘reform’ has impacted the state’s farmers, and not in a good way. Farmers have had to...
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Bihar procurement at snail’s pace, farmers forced to sell paddy much below MSP -Santosh Singh
-The Indian Express Several farmers told The Indian Express that they had to sell their paddy for Rs 800-Rs 1,200 per quintal in open market, although the MSP is Rs 1,868 per quintal, as the procurement process is yet to begin in their areas. Patna: THE MAJORITY of farmers in Bihar, who have harvested their paddy crop this season, have no option but to sell their produce at rates much below the...
More »The perils of deregulated imperfect agrimarkets -R Ramakumar
-The Hindu The Farm Acts were legislative misadventures, while much more is needed to address the genuine fears of farmers The eruption of massive farmers’ protests across India against the Farm Acts has shocked those in the seat of power in Delhi. According to the government, many private markets will be established, middlemen would disappear, farmers would be free to sell to any buyer and farmgate prices would rise. But the protesting...
More »MSP Procurement: Real freedom for farmers -Devinder Sharma
-The Indian Express Amidst continuing protests by Punjab and Haryana farmers against the Centre’s new farm laws, about 3-4 lakh tonnes of paddy arrives every day in Punjab mandis from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. As the paddy marketing season comes to an end, it is estimated that more than three million tonnes of paddy has already reached Punjab mandis in the kharif marketing season this year. This is because in the...
More »For Farmers in Punjab, Minimum Support Price Doesn't Guarantee a Better Income -Vivek Gupta
-TheWire.in With or without the government-mandated minimum support prices, private players in Punjab have been calling the shots, and the new farm laws only legitimise the rampant practice. Chandigarh: Farmers from Punjab, who are up in arms against the Centre’s new farm laws, have more than one reason to remain firm on their demand for the rollback of the contentious laws. For crops where there is no assured government purchase even after the...
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