"internal matter" isn't something sanghis have started. obviously it was the line used for kashmir forever but also during indira gandhi's time, for example, satyajit ray was told his films "export poverty."
Don't you find it odd that even our 22$billion support is under scrutiny from Canada,US,UK and EU? Our stockpile are under scrutiny which comprises a large part our support for agricultural industry.
We need to improve our agriculture subsidy but there is nothing in that bill which says otherwise.
Essential commodities act is removed in first bill. It's time for it to go considering it was conceptualized in 1960's when we were food deficit country. Now it just has an opposite reaction. Onion prices is great example for this. Whenever there is a bumper harvest, onion prices crashes and we have seen farmers throwing them away on roads because there is a limit on how much you can store. During off season, prices sky rocket and then Government is forced to stop it's export. So it's the farmer who get screwed over both time. Every single farmer organization have mentioned this as an issue at some point. No private investment has occurred for cold storage facility because nobody wants to go to jail for storing these products.
APMC act is the second one which only mentions private buyers can buy outside mandis and can avoid mandi tax. Mandis are so corrupt that traders levy tax on both farmers and buyers. Although it's not relevant but opposition parties have advocated for providing choice to farmer to sell outside mandi. Even now 90% of agricultural products are bought by private players. Having a system in which cold storage facility and farmer cooperative pooling their resources together would do wonders for farmers who don't get MSP support.
Contract farming is 3rd bill and here I had some reservations about grievance redressal system which can be ironed out. Contract farming has existed for some time now and Captain Amrinder Singh wanted this way back in 2005 with Reliance.
If you look at Dairy industry, returns are higher than products sold under MSP. And it is entirely run by private players and cooperation. Punjab and Haryana water table is going down and they are producing products which we have an excess of. Diversification of crops is the need of the hour and with options other than Government, this will be achieved much earlier.
As far as MSP is concerned, PDS system is the only reason why Government procure agricultural products. This will always continue. Unless there is a fine print and it has fooled veteran agricultural experts, I don't see any reason to doubt it. Plus I don't believe Government of India can procure entire agricultural products as this will be entire financial budget for the government. Also I don't think it's Government job to sell wheat and rice.
As far as subsidy is concerned, it's a valid subject and we should increase it but it's entirely different issue.
Below is great interview by Karan Thapar with Ashok Gulati who is one of India's most respected Agricultural expert.
Print also has his interviews up on YouTube if anyone is interested.
