Congress' Bhupinder Hooda backs Centre on contract farming, insists on MSP assurance

Amid the debate over farm bills, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday demanded that farmers should get Minimum Support Price based on the Swaminathan Commission formula. According to him, farmers required protection for their produce as they didn't have the capacity to store it for a longer time. Even though the Congress' 2019 manifesto specified that the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act would be repealed, Hooda claimed that his Party only wanted to rationalize the legislation.

On the other hand, the senior Congress leader supported the contract farming initiative. This is in contrast to the opposition's charge that the private sector may force farmers to enter into unfair contracts without taking the Minimum Support Price into consideration. During Hooda's tenure as the CM in 2007, Haryana was among the first few states that notified the contract farming rules. At that juncture, the state government said that this system would help farmers get access to assured marketing on the agreed rates and the buyers would get a consistent supply of quality products. Hooda contended that farmers wouldn't face any logistical issues if these rules are implemented by the present government. 

Read: TN CM Palaniswami Reiterates Support For Centre's Farm Bills, Rejects Stalin's Criticism

Read: 'Save Farmers...': Opposition MPs Stage Protest Over Farm Bills At Parliament Premises

What are the agrarian bills? 

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 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 Bill, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. This entails the provision of contract farming. Both these bills were passed in the Rajya Sabha on September 20 despite considerable ruckus by the opposition. 

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was cleared by the Upper House on Tuesday. This bill specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of a grave nature. The aforesaid three bills are now pending with President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent. 

Read: Madhya Pradesh Govt To Make Rs 4,000 Direct Cash Transfer To Farmers Under PM-KISAN Scheme

Read: Kejriwal Targets Govt Over Passage Of Farm Bills, Lauds Protest By Suspended RS MPs

(Image credits: PTI)