FARM BILLS What is the Hoopla all About?

The three farm bills introduced by the Central Government in the monsoon session of the parliament has become a bone of contention between the opposition and the ruling alliance as well as created a rift among the parties in NDA as well. The government is also facing a lot of heat from the farmers of Punjab and Haryana. With all of this going on, there are a lot of questions among the common populace and this piece tries to cover all the aspects of the tree farm bills and the hullaballoo surrounding it.

All you need to know:

1. The three ordinances introduced by the government are — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. 
2. The Union Government said that the ordinances were promulgated to ease farmers’ access to markets across the country, help them enter contracts for assured returns and exempt more farm products from the Essential Commodities Act (EC) respectively.

Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce(Promotion and Facilitation Bill), 2020

The Farmer (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of PriceAssurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020

What now?

By opening space for providing alternate trading channels, the government seeks to provide a level-playing field to farmers. States like Bihar should build on their enterprising farmers and immediately improve rural infrastructure and marketing facilities, and states like Punjab should look at new ways to leverage benefits from diversification. The government must look after farmers and provide checks and balances together with a robust grievance redressal mechanism until farmers establish benefits of the new system. Likewise, the government should work with state governments to customize programs for different regions.

Given that agriculture is a state subject, the government will do well by engaging with stakeholders. Only with consensus and convergence can the Bill reach where it is rightly positioned and intentioned to reach.