Farmers in Punjab are worried about the implications of the three new farm bills that will allow them to sell their produce directly to private players. Vikas Vasudeva reports on the concerns of farmers, commission agents and workers despite the government’s assurances that the legislation empowers them
In June 2020, 55-year-old Shingara Singh in Fatehpur village in Patiala, Punjab, sold his spring season maize crop at ₹700-₹800 per quintal, far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹1,850/q fixed by the Central government for the season’s crop. He says private traders buy the produce at a much lower price than the MSP.
In the upcoming Rabi (winter) season, Shingara is hoping to get a remunerative price for his wheat crop. In Punjab and Haryana, the Central government purchases wheat and paddy (rice) at the MSP, which gives farmers an assured market and return. But…