Shimla: Urban Development and Cooperation Minister Suresh Bhardwaj supported the recently passed Farm bill and claimed that the Bill will revolutionize the agriculture sector in the coming times.
Suresh Bhardwaj, in a press statement, said the bill will help farm sector as well as the farmers to break the shackles of fragmented system.
Bhardwaj said that the Union government has initiated several schemes, programmes to deal with farm distress. He said
“Schemes, policies alone are not enough to benefit farmers especially the small and marginal ones. There is a dire need to amend or introduce a new law. The farm bill is a step forward to revitalize the agriculture sector,”
Taking on Opposition Congress for opposing the Bill Bhardwaj said “Congress is an opposition party at the national as well as state level. They will oppose everything for the sake of opposition. But one should keep his political agenda aside when it comes to interests of farmers and the farm sector who are the backbone of the country’s economy,” adding that the same Congress during UPA rule had been advocating abolishing the APMCs and it even promised the same during 2019 general polls. He questioned
“Congress is anti-farmers and is misleading farmers on Minimum Support Price (MSP), which the government assured will continue. If they were so serious, why did they not mention MSP in any Act during their regime”
Further explaining about the farm bill, the Minister said that APMCs and Marketing Board will continue to function as usual. State government provides grant in aid to them and will continue to do so. “The bill is not about MSP and there will be no change in government procurement under MSP. It allows development of private market infrastructure and ensures seamless market access to farmers.
The Urban Development and Cooperation Minister said that Bill will give price assurance of farm produce to the farmers at the time of sowing with better income options. It will increase diversification with more focus on cash crops. It will also improve agri-business supply chain and will curtail price fluctuation.
