Odisha: Farmer bodies protest three farm sector ordinances

BHUBANESWAR: Members of six farmer organisations under the aegis of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee on Monday staged protest in Bhubaneswar against three farm sector ordinances promulgated by the Centre recently. They demanded withdrawal of these ordinances.
These three ordinances were- the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
They alleged that farmers may not get minimum support price (MSP) for their agricultural products after implementation of these ordinances. It will badly affect the mandi system of the government, they said.
Suresh Panigrahy, one of the members of the committee, dubbed the three amendments anti-farmer because farmers will be in loses once the ordinances come into force.
He said the second ordinance will affect mandi system. "Farmers will have to depend on contract farming and the companies will decide the price according to their will. The corporate houses will behave like sahukars (moneylenders)," he added.
Another committee member Sashi Bhusan Swain said the first ordinance allows farmers to sell their agricultural produces outside the agricultural produce market committees (APMCs). "Due to this, corporate houses will control the market and farmers will loose their bargaining power. It is against the interest of farmers," he added.
He said third ordnance has made some changes in the list of essential items whose prices are regulated by the government. "Small farmers, sharecroppers and marginal farmers will face difficulties because of these ordinances," he added.
Besides, the farmer body members opposed the proposed electricity amendment bill and hike in prices of petrol and diesel prices.