Updated: December 1, 2020 7:27:54 am
Protesters mark Guru Purab at the Singhu border in Delhi. (PTI)
At the forefront of the protests against three farm laws are farmers who have used the minimum support price (MSP) during the current marketing season for kharif But now they fear whether MSP-based acquisitions will continue for years to come.
“A few days ago I sold my rice crop —200 quintals — to the arhatiya (commission agent) at the MSP for Rs 1,888 per quintal and received money in my account…. This time, I have used MSP. I’m not sure if we’ll get it next time, ”Jagdeep Singh Mann, a farmer from the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, said Monday.
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Mann is among the thousands of farmers protesting on a stretch of NH-44 near the Singhu border. One of the three laws, the Agricultural Products Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, allows the trade of agricultural products outside of existing APMC mandi (market yards), which is of concern among many farmers. on the elimination of agricultural products based on MSP. obtaining.
While the MSP is not mentioned in the law, protesting farmers say that once APMC mandis weakens after the implementation of new lawsMSP-based acquisitions, which have been in place for decades, will also end.
Satnam Singh, from Qila Bharian village in Sangrur district, said that due to the absence of MSP-based acquisitions, farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are forced to sell their produce at much lower prices. “MSP maize is around Rs 1,800 per quintal, but private traders buy it at Rs 800 per quintal in UP and Bihar,” he said. “This year, I grew rice paddies on about 25 acres. I sold my products at the mandi at MSP. I received my payment. The current system must continue. “
Holding a flag of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), he also said: “Until the government gives us written guarantees from the MSP, we will not end our protest. We have made all the ration arrangements for six months. We will continue protesting here ”.
Pargat Singh, 58, who cultivates 2.5 acres of land in Tarn Taran district, said: “If farmers sell their produce outside APMC mandis, these mandis will collapse in the next few years. Then the farmers will face problems. “
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Comparing the situation with telcos that initially offered free data to attract customers and subsequently increased rates, Singh, a member of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, said that corporate buyers will also offer a higher price than the MSP. initially, but after a year or two. , they will go below MSP.
Karnajit from Tarn Taran said he sold his paddy field to the arhatiya at local APMC mandi at MSP: “Even before my harvest was harvested, I had taken money from the arhatiya in mandi. If the mandi is not there, where will I borrow money in an emergency situation?
When asked about the government’s invitation to the discussion, Pargat Singh said: “We will speak only to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will not talk to the ministers. “
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