Page 94 - Putting Farmers First

PRAKALP (INITIATIVES) ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.
VIKALP (ALTERNATIVES) ARE NEEDED FOR FARMERS

“4 crore farmer families have been helped by PM Fasal
Bima Yojana. 47 lakh hectares of land was brought under
the purview of micro-irrigation through the Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. Irrigation projects worth Rs
77,000 crore are under various stages of development.

However, successful initiatives are not sufficient by
themselves. Farmers should also derive benefits from a
large and functional market, and these can be found in
our country and the world.

This is why we have adopted the path of creating
alternatives that empower the farmers. The
pro-farmer reforms provide such options to the farmers.
If a farmer finds a buyer willing to pick up the
produce directly from the field, who is willing to make
arrangements for transport and logistics and is willing to
pay a better price, shouldn’t he have the freedom to sell
to that buyer?

Indian farm produce is famous throughout the world.
Shouldn’t our farmers gain access to the global market
and better prices for their produce?

Remember that these reforms only create more options,
they do not prohibit anyone from buying and selling in
the same way as it has been going on till now.
These new farm bill amendments provide alternatives
to farmers and also protect their rights. Earlier, it was
illegal to sell or buy produce outside the mandis. As a
result, small and marginal farmers were often cheated,
there were often disputes. Now, the small and marginal
farmers can seek legal recourse in relation to transactions