Dr Shantanu Dey Roy, Asst Professor in TERI School of Advanced Studies, tells LokMarg the inherent flaws and lacunae in the recently-enacted Central Agricultural Bills. Dr Roy says while these laws will be detrimental to the consumer, due to price manipulation, they will be ineffective in raising the income of the farmers. For, using this bill, big corporations can enter into the production network, and dictate the production process. Thus food security can be compromised.
Dr Roy points out that the main problem facing our farmers today is high input cost and low returns, rending agriculture unprofitable. Thus, the need is to fix a minimum price for various crops to turn farming into a profitable venture. These bills do little to address this problem. As far as the Centre’s claims about wiping out middlemen from the process are concerned, these are nothing but wishful thinking, he says.
Watch the full interview here: