Hyderabad: Farm Acts laudable, but need to be debated

Hyderabad: Telangana State Planning Board (TSPB) vice chairman B Vinod Kumar on Thursday said that the Farm Acts by the Centre were laudable but added that they should have been discussed at Parliament standing committee level before being passed.

Speaking in a webinar on 'Farm Bill 2020: Policy and Perspectives- Focus on Telangana Agriculture' organised by Center for Good Governance and TSPB on Thursday, he said that there should have been consultations at Parliamentary standing committees and with farmers and farmer organisations. He hoped that at least during forthcoming parliamentary session, necessary amendments may be brought to the Acts with a clear assurance by the Prime Minister for continuation of Minimum Support Price (MSP).

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management Director General Chandra Shekar sensitised the participants about the provisions and its benefits to the farmers. He highlighted their salient points that enable the farmers to sell their produce either at their farm gate or at the market yards.

Most of the speakers opined that the new legislations have the potential to represent a significant step forward for agricultural reforms in India and could help farmers provided certain safeguards were incorporated. About 51 participants from across the country, policy makers of agriculture and allied sectors of the state, scientists from agriculture sector, industry experts and others participated in the webinar.