Farmer bodies want income guarantee

The organisations demanded higher budgetary allocation for irrigation

Some farmers’ organisations have demanded the Centre announce an income guarantee law for them to ensure a minimum income when crops fail and also when prices crash due to a bumper harvest.

To be called the Remunerative and Universal Price Yield Assurance (RUPYA) Act, the legislation would guarantee a price deficiency payment in the event of a price crash, a market intervention scheme for perishables, price stabilisation fund for plantation crops and minimum support price for pulses and oilseeds. 

The organisations, under the aegis of Swaraj Abhiyan, also plan to present a parallel farmers’ budget on February 1 and hold a farmers’ parliament. Farmers’ organisations such as Jai Kisan Andolan and others are part of the grouping. “This (income guarantee act) will ensure that millions of farmers of this country get a basic minimum pay for their hard labour, something which the government secures for its lowest level staff,” Yogendra Yadav, leader of Swaraj Abhiyan said.

The leaders said apart from enacting a legislation to guarantee farmers’ income, the Centre should also set up a National Farmers’ Income Commission for doubling income by 2018-19, as promised by the Centre. It should also announce compensation for farmers impacted by demonetisation.

The organisations also demanded higher budgetary allocation for irrigation with special focus on rain-fed areas via the Budget and not through non-budgetary support, as was being done in 2016-17. Access to rural credit for tenant farmers, tax exemptions to farmer producer companies and special emphasis on organic farming through increased allocations to Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, were the other major demands.