The Ag Minister outlined the various measures and reforms undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare during the last six years
Interacting with members of the International media from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar explained that the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities Amendment Act 2020 are the biggest agricultural reforms in the country so far. The reforms will provide farmers market freedom, encourage entrepreneurship, access to technology and they will transform agriculture.
During the interaction, officials of the Agriculture Ministry explained in detail the provisions under the Farm Acts and how they will benefit the farmers and lead to the betterment of Indian agriculture in the new eco system. The Minister said that enacting the reform laws was not an overnight decision but it has gone through more than two decades of deliberations, suggested by numerous experts and recommendations by varied committees/groups.
Regarding MSP the Minister said that MSP is an administrative decision and it will continue. The Modi Government has shown its commitment to MSP very clearly with multiple hikes and multi-fold increase in procurement, including in the 2020-21 Kharif season. Modi government announced MSP hikes based on the formula that farmers will get at least 1.5 times the cost of production. This was a promise made and delivered.
The Agriculture Minister outlined the various measures and reforms undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare during the last six years such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). He said that Indian agriculture has come a long way from food scarcity to food surplus. Every effort is being made to create an eco-system of farmer friendly policies to see that the sector goes from strength to strength.
