The Three Agri Bills: A Few Stray Thoughts

[Sukla Sen]

AA. Of the 3 agri bills, the third one is essentially an onslaught on common consumers.

It takes items out of the list of "essential commodities" and the leverage of the state to keep the prices thereof under check.

The almost immediate spike in onion price is a live demonstration of how the Act would operate, in real life.

BB. Beyond the explicit provisions of the other two bills, it's being feared that the FCI would shrink its role in procurement.

Then, the *farmers would lose the support of the "support price"*.

Individual producers would become too vulnerable vis-a-vis the large(r) players in the market - procuring the produce.

*That's, perhaps, the most major concern*.

CC. Similarly, in case of "contract farming" as well, in absence of any provision for special institutional protection, individual farmers would be at great disadvantage.

I. One may not be able to fathom the "contract", one's enteing into.

One'll have to sign on dotted lines, in the hope for some extra gains.

The actual outcome may turn out to be just the opposite.

It's like leaping into dark.

It's not necessary that one'd land in a ditch.

But, one may very well.

II. In case of violation of the "contract", the other party - way stronger, would be in a much better position to either enforce or dodge the "contract".

To obviate that there has got to be provision for special institutional support and/or encouragement for forming cooperatives.

DD. By freeing trade outside the designated "mandis", and thereby sidelining these, the state revenues would be further pushed down.

This would impact the budgetary allocations by the state to upgrade agricultural infrastructure. 

EE. The bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha, visibly, undemocratically, via voice vote (i.e. without voting and counting thereof) - despite demand for voting.

That's too egregious.

Just some stray ideas. 

I'm not really in it.