New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said that the agriculture reform acts eliminate middlemen and guarantee better prices for the farmers’ produce.
Speaking at “Kisan Chaupal” with farmers at Village Hurhuri at Mirganj in Bareilly and Village Dhanaili at Milak in Rampur, in Uttar Pradesh he said that there have been attempts to create fear and confusion over agriculture reform acts.
The Minister further said that with the passing of the three farmers reform acts, now the farmers will get new opportunities to sell their produce, which will increase their profits. This will give the agriculture sector the benefit of modern technology and the farmers will be empowered. The minimum support price and government procurement will remain in place he added.
These acts will give freedom to farmers for storage and sale of their crops and free them from the clutches of middlemen whereas the farmers will be liberated from legal restrictions and they will not be compelled to sell their produce to the licensed traders in mandis anymore Mr Naqvi said, adding that the farmers will get their payments within three days.
Reiterating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to welfare of villages and farmers of the country, the Minister also said that farmers’ rights will be protected by the Government at any cost and so far, Rs 92,000 crore have been given to them through the “Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi”.
Assuring the farmers, he pointed out that the PM Modi has repeatedly said that the system of MSP will continue as before, across the country, and no change will be made and recently there has been an increase in the MSP announced by the Government.
Mr Naqvi said that during the UPA in 2009-10, the agriculture budget was Rs 12,000 crore, which has been raised to Rs 1.34 lakh crore by Modi Government, Soil Health Cards have been given to more than 22 crore farmers, Fasal BimaYojna has benefitted about eight crore farmers, Rs 6,850 crore are being spent on 10,000 new Farmers Production Organisations by Modi government nad one lakh crore announced for Agriculture Sector under AatmNirbhar Package.
On the issue of contract farming, Mr Naqvi said that the fact is that the farmers will have all the freedom to decide price of their produce and if a farmer is not satisfied by the contract, he can cancel the contract. The agriculture reform bills give 100 per cent guarantee for protection of the farmers’ interests, he added.