The many layers to agricultural discontent

Context: The Farm Acts that are the focus of the farmers’ protest bear variously on the different strata of the farming community and in different regions.

The Farm Acts: Expected outcomes

• Liberalising access to agricultural markets and breaking the monopoly of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).
• Removing existing barriers to storage of agricultural produce; Eliminating the middlemen;
• Facilitating contract-farming while protecting the interests of the farmers.
• Improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking in the World Bank’s annual report.
• Help in creating ‘One Nation, One Market’.

Issues with the farm acts:

• Lack of consultation: Introduced through Ordinances without much consultation and deliberation with experts, farming community and states:

• Being close to the farming community, states are better placed to deal with these issues. (Although agricultural marketing comes under Union List)
• Some State governments even enacted their own Bills that were largely directed against the key provisions of the central farm Acts.

• Impact on farming community: In terms of landholding and farm produce

• Rich farmers: With large holdings and produce for the market, are affected the most.
• Small and marginal farmers: Affected by farm distress in general and participate actively to secure their interest along with rich farmers.

• Impact on different regions of the country: depending upon the relative strength of APMCs

• In states with strong APMCs: E.g. Haryana and Punjab.

• When APMCs are subjected to competition, it would have a negative impact on assured prices for the farmers here provide a cushion.
• Dismantling of APMC also closes the various channels to tap for support, for the farmers.

• In states with already weak APMCs: Apprehensions that the measures proposed by the Farm Acts in addition to the existing agrarian distress, are only going to make the lot of the farmer even more precarious.

• Ignored the “elective affinities ” binding the rural space: The lower strata of the farming community is invariably beholden to the rich farmer not merely for employment but also to access resources and services.

Case study: The farm acts should have claimed to speak not merely for the farmers, but for the rural space  An example to this is the movement led by M.D Nanjundaswamy, Sharad Joshi, and Mahendra Singh Tikait.

• This has helped the farmers organisations in critically engaging with class, caste and gender concerns, although it has not made a substantial difference.

Conclusion: Government should hold talks with the agitating farming community and address their grievances by communicating the true purpose of the Farm Acts and ensuring them that the government will secure their interest.