September 26, 2020 1:38:46 pm
Farmers at Ludhiana-Jalandhar NH1 in Ludhiana during the Bharat Bandh on September 25, 2020 (Photo Express: Gurmeet Singh)
Following farmers’ protest against three contentious agricultural laws, the Center on Saturday ordered the start of kharif paddy / rice procurement operations “immediately” in Punjab and Haryana.
The 2020-21 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) for paddy rice was scheduled to begin next week in all contracting states, but the Center has allowed procurement operations to begin Saturday in both states.
In a statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said: “The Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21 for paddy rice is already scheduled to start in all Contracting States from 1 October 2020 and state acquisitions. Agencies, including FCI, are prepared to carry out procurement operations smoothly.
“However, in view of the anticipated arrival of rice to the ‘mandies’ of Haryana and Punjab, the Government of India has approved the commencement of paddy / rice procurement operations immediately in both States from today, that is, effective September 26, 2020 by ensuring that farmers sell their products at a minimum support price (MSP) expeditiously, ”the statement read.
“Orders have been issued for the commencement of paddy / rice acquisition operations from September 26, 2020 in Haryana and Punjab,” he added.
Movement comes the moment Punjab and Haryana farmers are protesting Against Controversial Agricultural Bills: The Agricultural Trade and Farmers’ Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; and the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Assurance and Agricultural Services Act, 2020, and the Draft Essential Products (Amendment) Act, 2020.
As farmers protest against the three bills, your main objections They are against the first, which provides for the creation of a “commercial zone” outside the current APMC Mandis. While the MSP is not mentioned in the three bills, farmers fear that if the mandi system comes to an end, the MSP will also be ended.
The government has clarified that the MSP will continue.
“We have declared Rabi MSP before planting crops and the kharif harvest will be delivered in a few days, which will be purchased from MSP. The Prime Minister has said that the MSP will continue, so why does anyone have to worry? And the MSP has nothing to do with these bills. The bills refer to trade outside the Mandi facilities, ”said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. told The Indian Express earlier this week.
Read also | The basis of MSP: how is it fixed and how binding is it?
The government sets the MSP of 22 “mandatory agricultural crops” and the fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane based on the recommendations of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
In the last kharif season (KMS 2019-20), a total amount of 512 lakh metric tons of rice was purchased from 23 states. However, the largest amount of rice was purchased from Punjab (109 lakh metric tons), followed by Telangana (73 LMT), Andhra Pradesh (54 LMT), Chhattisgarh (49 LMT), Odisha (47 LMT) and Haryana . (43 LMT).
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