'Last 6 years of Modi government witnessed historic rise in MSP': Dr Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that during the last six years of the Narendra Modi government, a number of historic steps were taken for the welfare of farmers and there was a steady hike in MSP for helping in doubling their income. Singh reiterated that the minimum support price (MSP) and APMC (Agricultural Produce & Livestock Market Committee) will continue and will never be removed at any cost. 

'Vested interests are spreading myths about farm bills'

During his interaction with Sarpanches, BDC Chairmen, Farmers Organisations and local activists of the peripheral hill districts of Doda, Ramban, Reasi, and Kishtwar on the new farm laws enacted by the Centre, he said that some vested interests are spreading myths about their abolition, which need to be countered at all levels.

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Committees will continue to purchase Kharif and Rabi crops

Adding further Singh said the Committees will purchase Kharif and Rabi crops as usual, but the only difference is that a farmer can sell their produces outside the areas now and even to private traders.The farmers can do so anywhere, within the state and outside and the state governments cannot levy any fee on farmers for that, he added. He also said that a farmer can now sign agreements with agri-business companies and keep stocks beyond present limits, which is truly a historic measure.

The union minister also said that the arrival of Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 has just begun and the Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes as done in previous seasons.

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Singh hails govt's move to eliminate middlemen

Hailing the govt's move to eliminate middlemen in the new Farm Laws, the Union Minister said that it was this class that was eating the income of the farmers and coming in the way of their progress. He said after 70 years of Independence, the farmers were liberated from the shackles of middlemen and now the farmers can choose where to sell and whom to sell and thus will become producers and traders for the first time.

Moreover, he said, the Contract Agreement, as per the Act brought in through the new Agricultural Laws, will be for the crops and not for the land and alleged that the farmers are being misled to believe otherwise. Lastly, he appealed to all activists to reach out to each and every farmer in every village and explain to him the big conspiracy being hatched against him. 

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Image credit -PTI