DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Monday discussed the draft of the 'National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing' with his department officials and sought consultations with farmers and other stakeholders before taking a stance. Khuddian asked the officials to hold a meeting with representatives of farmers, agriculture experts and other stakeholders within a week to analyse the draft policy shared by the central government.

The draft policy needs thorough analysis and consultation with stakeholders as it could have "serious implications" for the state and its farmers, the minister said.

He further informed that the state agriculture department has already written to S K Singh, Deputy Agriculture Marketing Adviser and Convener of the drafting committee, Government of India, seeking three week's time to send comments on the draft policy.

The agriculture minister also directed the officials to conduct an in-depth study of the draft to ensure that not a single point which could affect the farming community should be left unconsidered.

He asked the officials concerned to focus on issues such as minimum support price, market fee to further strengthen the Mandi Board in general and the state's agriculture marketing infrastructure in specific, besides ensuring protection of farmers' interests against big corporates.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the BJP-led Union government over the draft of the new agricultural marketing policy, saying it tries to reintroduce clauses from "the three controversial farm laws" that triggered a year-long farmers' agitation at Delhi's borders in 2020-21.

"At a time when farmers are already fighting to secure the legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP), the BJP government is devising policies that could prove disastrous for agricultural marketing," Bajwa said in a statement.

"With this policy, the government appears determined to undermine Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) and pave the way for big corporations in agricultural marketing. Once APMCs are weakened, farmers will be left at the mercy of private players, forced to sell their produce at distressed prices.

"Instead of guaranteeing MSP, the BJP government is pushing a regressive agenda that endangers farmers and agriculture," Bajwa alleged.

Bajwa also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for its "delayed" response to the draft policy.

(editor@dailyworld.in)