The Supreme Court-appointed committee on farm laws has sought suggestions from all stakeholders engaged in agricultural activities or any other activity related to it over the three farm laws and the minimum support price (MSP) by February 20.
The committee has prepared a feedback form which includes 20 multiple questions, divided into five sections. Sections A, B, and C deal with the three farm laws and section D contains questions on the MSP. The last section, E, seeks the respondents’ suggestions.
The questions include: Are you aware about the Act dealing with contract farming? Where do you sell your products? What are the three main products you sell? Do you sell your produce at MSP and whom do you sell? The panel has made a request to all the concerned to share their comments, views and suggestions so that they can be compiled and presented before the SC.
Section A is related to the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and it contains eight questions and respondents will have to answer in only “yes” and “no”. The questions are: Are you aware about this Act? Where do you sell your produce? Do you feel that the provisions in the Act will give more choice to the farmers to sell their produce beyond APMC markets? Will such an arrangement benefit farmers in realising better prices of their produce? There are apprehensions that the provisions in the Act will collapse APMC markets. Do you feel so? If yes, how it will be responsible for the collapse of APMC markets? Do you think that the Act will provide opportunities for electronic trading?
The Act proposed that any person (other than individual) having a PAN or FPO or cooperative society can create electronic platform and trade. Do you wish to propose any modification to this provision?
How the dispute is to be resolved between buyer and seller? Do you think the existing provision through SDM will serve the purpose? If no, what alternate do you propose?
Section B has five questions regarding the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, including, “Are you aware about the Act dealing with contract farming? Do you know the Act is (a) contract for produce and not for land? Do you think that there may be risk of acquiring land by the corporate sector or the contractor? Do you agree with the dispute resolution through SDM under the Act? Do you have any suggestions to further improve the provisions in the Act?”
Section C contains three questions about the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, on whether the farmers are aware of its provisions and how these affect them, and the changes they would like. The MSP issue is dealt with in Section D, in four questions - “What are the three main produce you sell? Do you sell your produce at MSP? (to) Whom do you sell? Are you aware about the implications of legalising MSP especially if the commodity is in surplus? If yes, what may be those?”
Section D is related to legalising MSP. It has four questions. The first question is what are the three main produce you sell? The second is do you sell your produce at MSP? The third is whom do you sell? Respondents can choose answer from - Farm Gate, Hatt, APMC Mandi, Collection Center, Company Collection, FPO and any other. The fourth question is: Are you aware of the implications of legalising MSP? Especially the commodity is in surplus. The respondent can give an answer in “yes” and “no”. If yes, what may be those? Can you suggest some policy instruments/ways to cover the price risk besides minimum support prices?
In the last Section E, the respondents can give “any other suggestions” in 100 words.