Mixed response

Sushil Manav

The three ordinances on agriculture brought in by the Centre have evoked a mixed response in Haryana, with farmers’ organisations opposing the move, the ruling party hailing it as a landmark decision to benefit farmers, and the Opposition terming it a double-edged sword.

“The ordinances are against the interests of farmers and are aimed at bringing agriculture into the hands of corporates and capitalists. Increasing the stock limit of farm produce will also lead to hoarding by big businessmen and this will ruin the farmers,” says Gurnam Singh Charuni, state president of Bhartiya Kisan Union who has given a call for protests across the state on this issue on July 20.

Gurjeet Singh Mann, a progressive farmer from Sirsa, says, “We farmers are apprehensive that with these ordinances, the government wants to do away with the APMC system which has helped and is helping farmers, especially of the grain-abundant states of Haryana and Punjab. It also appears that the government wants to shed the burden of MSP, in the garb of free markets, and form FPOs (farmer producer organisations) which are way too complicated and need a lot of capital for efficient running.”

Mann says that as a farmer, he welcomes the reforms, but the ambiguity in the ordinances is a cause for concern. “The very fact that these are ordinances, not Bills, makes them look suspicious, as it means that they bypass the interests of individual states and the needs of farmers of each state. The Essential Commodities Act was practically non-existent and most of its restrictions were already gone; at the same time, states such as Haryana are working against the spirit of this ordinance by imposing restrictive policies such as Meri Fasal Mera Byora, Mera Pani Meri Virasat etc., which curtail the freedom of the farmers on what to grow and where to sell,” Mann adds.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda says farmers from Haryana and Punjab are going to be the losers because of these ordinances. “However, there are provisions like contract farming which will benefit the farmers,” he adds.

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister JP Dalal, however, has welcomed the ordinances, saying that these will promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade in agricultural produce and pave the way for creating ‘One India, One Agriculture Market’, enabling farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

“The ruling NDA led is the first government which has implemented a formula for fixing the minimum support price (MSP) of crops every year, and the MSP is announced before the sowing season starts, thus helping the farmers decide in advance regarding sowing of their crops as per the prices,” Dalal claims, adding that the ordinances, too, were aimed at improving the farmers’ lot in the state. The minister says that while the ordinances would ensure beneficial prices for the farmers’ produce, their income would also increase.

“Achieving PM Narendra Modi’s target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 is Haryana’s priority,” he adds.

Dalal claims that Haryana is swiftly moving towards the peri-urban concept, while it is also working to meet the daily demand of products, including milk, fruits, vegetables, flowers and poultry required for about 5 crore population residing in the National Capital Region.

The minister says that farmers’ interests are the topmost priority for the Central and state governments.

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