“Farmers’ unions should resume dialogue with government and find an amicable solution”: Agri Minister Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged the representatives of the farmers’ unions to resume the dialogue and find an amicable solution to the issues relevant to the current farm legislation.

The two Cabinet ministers addressed a press conference here a day after the Farmers’ Unions overwhelmingly refused the Centre’s bid to amend the legislation recently implemented to bring in changes in agriculture and related sectors.

As farmers’ unions have begun to intensify their protests by calling for the blockade of the expressways across the national capital, the government has requested them to come to the discussion table.

Tomar said that the course of dialogue has not yet been disrupted and that the government has made recommendations to them. “We urge union leaders to consider the proposal and start the next round of talks,” he said.

The Ministers argued that the Farmers Produce Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Guarantee and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Necessary Commodities Amendment Act 2020 are the country’s largest agricultural reforms to date.

The reforms would provide farmers with market independence, promote creativity, provide access to technology and change agriculture, they said.

The Government is ready to provide certainty on MSP and procurement, and the current mechanism for the procurement of MSP crops (minimum support price) will proceed. The Government has clarified that arrangements will be made in the law to ensure a fair playing field for transactions within and outside the current APMC mandis, the Ministers added.

As per the plans to amend the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, there will be equal business costs and termination charges.

Goyal also outlined the various suggestions that have been given to the farmers in a proposal to address their concerns about the farm laws.