Lok Sabha Question No. 453 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: Repeal of New Farm Laws
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Adoor Prakash, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Pradyut Bordoloi, Amar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 453

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  JULY, 2021

## REPEAL OF NEW FARM LAWS

453.   SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH: SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA: SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA: SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI: DR. AMAR SINGH:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  scrap/repeal  Agri  laws  in  near future;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether some efforts have been made to end Agriculture protests 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 (c): The New Farm laws viz, 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020', 'The  Farmers  (Empowerment  and Protection) Agreement On Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020' and 'The Essential  Commodities  (Amendment)  Act,  2020,    are  intended  to  provide  an ecosystem  where the  farmers  can  enjoy the  freedom  of  choice  relating  to  sale  of farmers' produce which facilitates remunerative prices to farmers through competitive alternative  channels  for  selling  their  produce.  These  farm  Acts  will  facilitate  direct buying  from  farmers  in  trade  area  by  traders,  processors,  exporters,  Farmer Producer  Organizations  (FPOs),  agriculture  co-operative  Societies  etc.,  so  as  to facilitate farmers with better price realization due to shortening of supply chain and reduction in marketing cost to enhance their income.

Farm laws  will  accelerate  more  investment  in  marketing  and  value  addition infrastructure  near  to  farm  gate  creating  more  employment  opportunities  for  rural youth.  Farm  laws  provide  additional  marketing  opportunities  outside  the  APMC market  yards  such  as  farm-gates,  cold  storages,  warehouse,  silos,  etc.  to  help farmers get better remunerative prices due to additional competition.

'The  Farmers'  Produce  Trade  and  Commerce  (Promotion  and  Facilitation) Act, 2020' is intended to promote competition and transparency in trade by way of facilitation  of  electronic  trading  system  in  trade  area  for  facilitating  remunerative prices to farmers.

The  Farming  agreement  i.e  'The  Farmers  (Empowerment  and  Protection) Agreement On Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020' will enable scaling of investment  by  industry  for  production  and  processing  of  high  value  agriculture produces and give fillip to exports.  The framework will also mitigate the risks for the farmers, enhance their income and will put in place an effective and conducive policy regime for agreements.

Farm Acts provides sufficient safeguard mechanism to protect the interest of farmers including that of small and marginal farmers. Simple, accessible, quick and cost effective dispute resolution mechanism is prescribed at local Sub-divisional level and deterring penal provisions  have been provided  against traders to prevent and curb any violation of the Act by them.

'The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020', encourages investment in  supply  chain  and  marketing  infrastructure  including  that  in  storage  facilities  to create rural employment.

(d): Some  of  the  farmers'  unions  have  been  protesting  against  newly  enacted Farm laws and their main demands of agitating farmers' unions regarding the three farm laws, were for their repeal viz. 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020', 'The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)  Agreement On Price  Assurance  and  Farm  Services Act,  2020'  &  'The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020'. Various efforts have been made by Government to end the protests.

Government engaged itself actively and constantly with the agitating farmers unions to end the protests and 11 rounds of negotiating talks were held between the Government & agitating farmer unions to resolve the issues. Details of the meetings are at Annexure-I.

Giving top priority to the interest of farmers, Government vide letter dated 09 th December, 2020 addressed to Farmer Unions, explained point  by  point,  how  the concerns expressed by the farmers were being taken care of in the proposal of the Government  of  India.    Government  also  proposed  to  constitute  a  small  group consisting  of  representative  of  farmers'  unions,  who  can  deliberate  on  Farm  Laws clause-wise in a time bound manner and can also consider other issues related to farmers.

However, Farmer Unions never agreed to discuss excepting for demanding their repeal.

Government is always open to discussion with farmers Union and will remain open to discussion with agitating farmers to resolve the issue.

Annexure-I

|   Sl.No | Rounds of negotiating talks with agitating farmer unions   | Date of meeting   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|       1 | 1 st Round                                                 | 14.10.2020        |
|       2 | 2 nd Round                                                 | 13.11.2020        |
|       3 | 3 rd Round                                                 | 01.12.2020        |
|       4 | 4 th Round                                                 | 03.12.2020        |
|       5 | 5 th Round                                                 | 05.12.2020        |
|       6 | 6 th Round                                                 | 30.12.2020        |
|       7 | 7 th Round                                                 | 04.01.2021        |
|       8 | 8 th Round                                                 | 08.01.2021        |
|       9 | 9 th Round                                                 | 15.01.2021        |
|      10 | 10 th Round                                                | 20.01.2021        |
|      11 | 11 th Round                                                | 22.01.2021        |

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