Over half the farmers not in favour of recently passed farm laws: Survey

The survey showed that around 60 per cent of the farmers want the MSP system to be made a mandatory law in India

With the Centre having planned an expanded outreach programme on the three agriculture laws passed recently in Parliament, a new survey has found more than half the farmers are not in favour of the laws, but a sizeable number of those opposed to the laws (about 36 per cent) are against them without knowing their full contents.

The survey, conducted by rural platform Gaon Connection, found that even among those supporting the legislations, which numbered around 35 per cent, almost 18 per cent were not aware about their content, which reflects a sharp lacunae in the Centre's efforts to create understanding about the laws.

The survey was conducted between between October 3 and October 9 across 53 districts in 16 states. Over 5,022 farmers were surveyed as part of the exercise.

According to the Survey, the biggest fear about the three laws among 57 per cent of the respondents was that once the legislations started showing their impact, farmers would be forced to sell their crop at a lower price in the open market.

Around a third of the respondents feared the government will end the system of minimum support price (MSP). The survey showed that around 60 per cent of the farmers want MSP to be made mandatory in India. 

Interestingly, a bigger portion of marginal and small farmers, who own less than five acres land, support these farm laws in comparison to medium and large farmers. 

The survey also found that in spite of slightly more than half (52 per cent) the respondents opposing the three new laws (of which 36 per cent were not adequately informed), almost 44 per cent said the Modi government was ‘pro-farmer’, whereas about 28 per cent said it was ‘anti-farmer’. 

The survey also showed that about 35% per cent said the Modi government supported the farmers, whereas about 20 per cent said it supported the private corporates/companies.

Three new agri bills were passed during the last monsoon session of the Parliament, after which President Ram Nath Kovind signed them on September 27, making them the law of the land. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, seeks to empower farmers to sell their produce outside of the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market yards.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, gives farmers the right to enter into a contract with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price. 

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, is meant to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potato from the list of essential commodities and do away with the imposition of stock holding limits.

A section of farmers and farmers’ organisations have been protesting against the new farm laws. 

The survey found that two-thirds of farmers were aware about the recent farmers’ protest in the country. 

Awareness about such protests was more among the farmers in north-west region (91 per cent), which includes the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Least awareness was reported in the eastern region (West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh) where less than half (46 per cent) were aware about the protest.

Overall, 52 per cent farmers reportedly oppose the three new agri laws, whereas 35 per cent support these Acts. 

Of those who support these laws, almost half (47 per cent) favour them because they believe it will give them freedom to sell their crop anywhere in the country. 

Among those who oppose these laws, the highest percentage of respondent farmers (57 per cent) said they did not support the three laws because ‘farmers will be forced to sell their produce at lower price in open market’.

Key Findings 

a) 56% respondents aware of The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; 35% said it was pro-farmer

b) 49% were aware of The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; 46% said it was pro-farmer

c) 44% were aware of The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; 63% said it was pro-farmer

d) 39% felt that because of the new agricultural laws, mandi system/APMC will collapse/finish in the country

e) 39% believe because of the new agriculture laws, the MSP system will end in the near future.

f) 46% said they thought the three bills will lead to big corporates/private companies exploiting farmers.

g) 36% said they think the new agricultural laws will bring a positive change in their status; 29% said the three new agricultural laws will help double their income by 2022. 

h) 59% said the MSP system should be made a mandatory law in India

i) 51% said farming was profitable; 34% wanted their child to become farmers