Farmers Rally Against New Agricultural Marketing Policy in Punjab: What You Need to Know

Farmers' Concerns Over National Policy Framework

Farmer unions in Punjab are urging the state government to reject the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, claiming it threatens the interests of the state's farm-based economy.

During a three-hour meeting with Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, representatives from 15 farmer unions voiced their apprehensions that the policy encourages privatisation in food procurement, potentially leading to monopolistic practices in agriculture.

State's Response and Future Discussions

The Agriculture Minister assured the unions that an all-party meeting would be convened to discuss the policy before the state submits its response to the Centre. Though the original deadline for the state's response was December 10, the Punjab Government has requested an additional three weeks for a thorough examination. This discussion is expected to take place during the Winter Session of the Vidhan Sabha, set for the second week of January 2025.

Criticism of the Policy

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the BKU Ekta Ugrahan, criticized the policy as a possible attempt to reintroduce contentious provisions from the three farm laws, which were rolled back after the 2020-21 farmers' protests. He emphasized that the unions would resist the policy "tooth and nail."

Key Attendees

The meeting also featured Dr Sukhpal Singh, chairman of the Punjab Farmers and Farm Workers Commission, and Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research at PAU, Ludhiana, along with officials from the Agriculture Department.