Lok Sabha Question No. 23 (STARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: Farmers&#8217; Demands on New Farm Laws
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Manish Tewari, Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 23

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  20 TH  JULY, 2021

## FARMERS' DEMANDS ON NEW FARM LAWS

- *23.    SHRI MANISH TEWARI: SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of rounds of talks held with the Farmer Unions for the three Farm Acts namely  the  -  Farmers  Produce  Trade  and  Commerce  (Promotion  and  Facilitation)  Act 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 & Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020;
- (b) whether  any  specific  proposals  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  farmers  are  being discussed by the Union Government and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has plans to provide a legal guarantee for continuation of the  Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and open-ended procurement of MSP notified crops and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government is inclined to repeal the three farm laws mentioned above and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 23   DUE FOR REPLY ON 20 th  JULY, 2021.

- (a): So  far,  11  rounds  of  negotiations  talks  were  held  between  the  Government  and agitating farmers' unions to resolve the issues.
- (b): The Government has been engaged in serious, sensitive and active discussions with the farmers' unions to resolve the issues. During various rounds of discussions, Government continuously requested the farmers unions to discuss the provisions of the farm laws, so that if there is an objection to any provision, the advancement can be made towards resolution of those. But the farmers' unions insisted only on the repeal of the farm laws.
- (c): Government  of  India  announces  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSP)  for  22  major agricultural commodities of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) each year in both the crop seasons after taking into account the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Government also extends remunerative price to farmers through its various interventions  schemes.  The  procurement  at  MSP  is  being  done  by  Central  and  State Agencies under various schemes of Government. Besides, the overall market also responds to  declaration  of  MSP  and  Government's  procurement  operations,  results  in  increase  of selling price of the various notified crops.
- (d): In all the rounds of discussions with the Farmers' Unions, Government had stressed that  instead  of  insisting  on  the  demand for  the  repeal  of  the  said  Acts  the  Farmer  Unions should discuss  about their concerns on the clause of farm Acts, so that their concerns can be resolved.

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