Question : Farmers’ Demands on New Farm Laws

(a) the number of rounds of talks held with the Farmer Unions for the three Farm Acts namely the - Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 & Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020;

(b) whether any specific proposals to meet the demands of the farmers are being discussed by the Union Government and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has plans to provide a legal guarantee for continuation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and open-ended procurement of MSP notified crops and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government is inclined to repeal the three farm laws mentioned above and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.




STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 23 DUE FOR REPLY ON 20th JULY, 2021.

(a): So far, 11 rounds of negotiations talks were held between the Government and agitating farmers’ unions to resolve the issues.
(b): The Government has been engaged in serious, sensitive and active discussions with the farmers’ unions to resolve the issues. During various rounds of discussions, Government continuously requested the farmers unions to discuss the provisions of the farm laws, so that if there is an objection to any provision, the advancement can be made towards resolution of those. But the farmers’ unions insisted only on the repeal of the farm laws.
(c): Government of India announces Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 22 major agricultural commodities of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) each year in both the crop seasons after taking into account the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Government also extends remunerative price to farmers through its various interventions schemes. The procurement at MSP is being done by Central and State Agencies under various schemes of Government. Besides, the overall market also responds to declaration of MSP and Government’s procurement operations, results in increase of selling price of the various notified crops.

(d): In all the rounds of discussions with the Farmers’ Unions, Government had stressed that instead of insisting on the demand for the repeal of the said Acts the Farmer Unions should discuss about their concerns on the clause of farm Acts, so that their concerns can be resolved.
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