Centre procures Kharif crops at MSP from farmers amid row over Agricultural Act

Acting on its promise which the Centre had committed to during the row over the farm reform bills, the government has continued to procure Kharif crops from the farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) at the onset of the Kharif Marketing Season.

Paddy Procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is gaining momentum and as on Saturday, the Food Corporation of India along with other Government agencies have procured near about 38 Lakh Metric Tonnes Kharif Paddy worth over Rs 7,159 crore at MSP from more than 3.22 Lakh farmers.

Also, the procurement of Paddy from the farmers across the country is 33% higher than the value during the same period last year. 

"Paddy procurement in the 2020-21 Kharif marketing season is going on smoothly in the procuring states with purchase of 32,12,439 tonne of paddy up to October 9," the food ministry had earlier said in a statement.

Till October 9, about 459.60 tonnes of moong at MSP value of Rs 3.33 crore was procured from 326 farmers in Haryana and Tamil Nadu. Similarly, 5,089 tonnes of copra at MSP value of Rs 52.40 crore procured from 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the said period.

Centre's assurance on MSP

This is in stark contrast to the claims of opposition that said the MSP will be impacted after the implementation of the new farm reform laws which were recently passed in both houses of parliament followed by presidents assent. 

While the opposition parties held massive protests against the implementation of the farm laws, the centre on multiple occasions had assured that the farm laws will not affect the MSP mechanism, whereas the new reform laws will only free the farmers from being compulsively dependant on Mandis to sell their produce as farmers will be able to sell outside of Mandis, while also having the doors open to sell through Mandis if they wish to.

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What are the farm laws?

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. On the other hand, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances.

(With PTI inputs)

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