Farm Bills: Recent Agri-reforms have given New Opportunities to Farmers, says PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday in the 71st edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' said that the agricultural reforms have opened the doors of new opportunities for farmers and gave them more rights.  

PM Modi said, "Recent Agri-reforms have opened new dimensions that are being added to agriculture and its related activities in India. The agricultural reforms in the past few days have also now opened new doors of possibilities for our farmers. The demands that have been made by farmers for years, that every political party, at some point or the other made the promise to fulfill, those demands have been met. After a lot of deliberation, the Parliament of India gave a legal form to the agricultural reforms.” 

Modi further added that these reforms haven’t only served to unshackle our farmers but also given them new rights and opportunities. In just a short period, these new rights have begun to ameliorate the woes of our farmers. PM Modi also shared three stories of farmers who benefitted from this act and how these new farm reforms made their life easier.  

Jitendra Bhoi, a farmer from Dhule district in Maharashtra made use of the recently promulgated farm laws. He had sown corn and decided to sell his produce to traders for the right amount of price. The total cost of the produce was fixed at approximately Three Lakh thirty-two thousand rupees. He even received an advance of Rupees twenty-five thousand. It had been decided that the outstanding amount would be cleared in fifteen days. 

However, later such circumstances developed, that he didn’t receive the rest of his payment. Buy the crop from the farmer, keep the payment pending for months on end; probably this was the long-standing tradition that the buyers of corn were following. This continued for four months wherein he was not paid his dues. 

In this situation, the new farm laws that were passed in September came to his aid. Under this law, it was decided that all dues of the farmers should be cleared within three days of procurement, failing which; the farmer can complain.  

Another notable aspect of this law is that the area Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) has got to ensure grievance redressal of the farmer within one month. Now, with our farmer brother empowered with this law, his grievance had to be redressed; consequently, he complained and within days his outstanding payments were cleared. This correct and complete knowledge of the law became the strength of Jitendra Bhoi.  

Whichever the field, correct knowledge, free from misconceptions and rumours can act as a force multiplier for every individual.  

Mohammad Aslam from the Baran district in Rajasthan is working similarly to increase awareness among farmers. He is also the CEO of a farmer producer organization. Yes, you heard it right! - the CEO of a farmer producer organization. We hope this is heartwarming news for the CEOs of major companies - that farmers from far-flung areas of the country are now also becoming CEOs of farmer organizations!  

Aslam has made a WhatsApp group comprising several farmers from his area. On this group every day, he shares updates with the farmers on prevalent prices at neighboring Mandis in the area. His FPO also buys produce from farmers; hence, this effort of his also helps farmers in taking a decision. 

Virendra Yadav is one such farmer entrepreneur, who has influenced the lives of thousands through his awareness. Some time ago, Yadav used to live in Australia. Two years ago, he came to India and now lives in Kaithal, Haryana. Just like others, the stubble in the fields was a big concern for him too. Work is being done on a massive scale to find a solution to this issue.  

To find a solution to stubble, Yadav bought a Straw Baler machine to make bundles of straw. For this, he also received financial assistance from the Agricultural department. With this machine, he began to make bundles of stubble. After having made the bundles, he sold the stubble to agro energy plants and paper mills. In just two years, Yadav has traded in stubble more than Rupees Two and a Half Crores and has earned a profit of approximately Rupees Fifty Lakhs.  

The benefit of this also accrues to the farmers of those fields from where Yadav sources his stubble.   

PM Modi said, “We have often heard of ‘waste to wealth’, however, this initiative is a unique example of earning money and righteous goodwill while finding a solution to the problem of stubble. To the youth, especially the lakhs of students who are studying agriculture, I request that they visit villages in their vicinity and talk to the farmers and make them aware about innovations in farming and the recent agricultural reforms. This way, you will become stakeholders in major reforms underway in the country.” 

Source: PIB