Page 27 - Putting Farmers First
P. 27

MYTH AND REALITY


            The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)
         Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services
                   Act 2020 – Contract Farming Law

        S. No        MYTH                        REALITY

        1      Contractors       Agreement is for crops and not for land
               will take over    The law clearly disallows any transfer,
               farmers’ land and   including sale, lease and mortgage of the
               farmers will end   land or premises of the farmer
               up becoming
               laborers          The law ensures that buyers/sponsors are
                                 prohibited from acquiring ownership rights
                                 or making permanent modifications on
                                 farmers’ land

        2      No legal          Clear pro-farmer dispute resolution
               safety net for    mechanism outlined. Some farmers have
               farmers against   already got due compensation by taking
               contractors       legal action against traders
               Contractors can   No recovery of dues against farmers’
               take over farmer   land. Farmers’ land is safe, no matter
               land for recovery  what the situation
        3      The Act does not   The law clearly says that the price of
               provide any price   farming produce will be mentioned in
               guarantee for     the farming agreement itself, which
               farmers           assures the price
                                 It also says that, in case, such price is
                                 subject to variation, then, the agreement
                                 shall explicitly provide for a guaranteed
                                 price to be paid for such produce
                                 If the contractor fails to honour the
                                 agreement and does not make payment to
                                 the farmer, penalty may extend to one and
                                 half times the amount due
                                 Some farmers have already benefited from
                                 this
        4      Big companies     The contract agreement will guarantee the
               will exploit      farmers to get the fixed price
               farmers in the
               name of contract  Farmer can withdraw from the contract at
                                 any point without any penalty
        5      Such agreement-   Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Odisha already
               based farming     have contract farming laws.
               has never been
               tried in India



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