SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Farmers shout slogans as they take part in a march to India's capital New Delhi to protest against the central government's recent agricultural reforms, in Ambala on November 26, 2020. - Indian police fired tear gas and water cannon when they clashed with several thousand farmers marching to New Delhi to protest against recent agricultural reforms. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Food Fight in India Becomes a Matter of Life and Death
Under the new system, private agricultural businesses, grocers and supermarkets can buy directly from farmers and government price supports have been eliminated. Farmers believe it puts them at the mercy of agro-business.
Dec 09, 2020
Close to a half billion people in India make their living in the agricultural sector. A common holding for the average farmer is only about two hectares and as such allows for little bargaining power against large corporates. This is the crux of the issue resulting in massive protests by farmers against the Narendra Modi government's new laws designed to open agricultural markets and eliminate government price supports.
The laws mean that farmers can deal directly with private corporations, an arrangement that farmers believe puts them entirely at their mercy. Under the old system they dealt through agents, sometimes known to farm families over generations. The agents served as buyers and banks, often lending money at planting time and recouping it later.
At present farmers sell their produce mostly at wholesale markets that ensure government support prices serve as a floor. The markets are organized by committees of large landowners, commission agents who act on behalf of farmers arranging suitable storage and transport. Under the new system, private agricultural businesses, grocers and supermarkets can buy directly from farmers and government price supports have been eliminated. Farmers believe it puts them at the mercy of agro-business.
The government claims the present system will also continue but the farmers think that private buyers will first offer farmers attractive prices causing the present wholesale market system to be abandoned in a few years; after which the farmers will be at the mercy of the private players and ripe for exploitation. They believe they cannot trust or allow big business to establish prices and crops.
Centered around Delhi now, the farmer protests are aimed at closing roads entering or leaving the capital. Protests and demonstrations have been ongoing since August, and have occurred across the country although most forcefully in Punjab and Haryana the Indian bread basket states.
Supporters include a score of farmers unions as well as the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTE) a union of 9.5 million truckers and 5 million bus and taxi drivers. Any stoppage by AIMTC would bring the movement of goods and people across India almost to a halt.
Couple that to a push by protesters to disrupt rail services and it could end up with Bharat Bandh (closed India). The rails are a two-edged sword for they also affect the transport of fertilizer needed by farmers as well as other critical goods.
It is more usual for the Modi government to ignore protesters and the fact that they are sitting down with the farmers' representatives is an indicator of the huge voting bloc they form. Their principal demands are a repeal of the new farm laws and a re-establishment of minimum support prices. For the farmers it is a literal matter of life or death.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Arshad M. Khan
Arshad M. Khan is a retired US- based professor and occasional commentator. Educated at King's College London, OSU and The University of Chicago, he has a multidisciplinary background.
Close to a half billion people in India make their living in the agricultural sector. A common holding for the average farmer is only about two hectares and as such allows for little bargaining power against large corporates. This is the crux of the issue resulting in massive protests by farmers against the Narendra Modi government's new laws designed to open agricultural markets and eliminate government price supports.
The laws mean that farmers can deal directly with private corporations, an arrangement that farmers believe puts them entirely at their mercy. Under the old system they dealt through agents, sometimes known to farm families over generations. The agents served as buyers and banks, often lending money at planting time and recouping it later.
At present farmers sell their produce mostly at wholesale markets that ensure government support prices serve as a floor. The markets are organized by committees of large landowners, commission agents who act on behalf of farmers arranging suitable storage and transport. Under the new system, private agricultural businesses, grocers and supermarkets can buy directly from farmers and government price supports have been eliminated. Farmers believe it puts them at the mercy of agro-business.
The government claims the present system will also continue but the farmers think that private buyers will first offer farmers attractive prices causing the present wholesale market system to be abandoned in a few years; after which the farmers will be at the mercy of the private players and ripe for exploitation. They believe they cannot trust or allow big business to establish prices and crops.
Centered around Delhi now, the farmer protests are aimed at closing roads entering or leaving the capital. Protests and demonstrations have been ongoing since August, and have occurred across the country although most forcefully in Punjab and Haryana the Indian bread basket states.
Supporters include a score of farmers unions as well as the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTE) a union of 9.5 million truckers and 5 million bus and taxi drivers. Any stoppage by AIMTC would bring the movement of goods and people across India almost to a halt.
Couple that to a push by protesters to disrupt rail services and it could end up with Bharat Bandh (closed India). The rails are a two-edged sword for they also affect the transport of fertilizer needed by farmers as well as other critical goods.
It is more usual for the Modi government to ignore protesters and the fact that they are sitting down with the farmers' representatives is an indicator of the huge voting bloc they form. Their principal demands are a repeal of the new farm laws and a re-establishment of minimum support prices. For the farmers it is a literal matter of life or death.
Arshad M. Khan
Arshad M. Khan is a retired US- based professor and occasional commentator. Educated at King's College London, OSU and The University of Chicago, he has a multidisciplinary background.
Close to a half billion people in India make their living in the agricultural sector. A common holding for the average farmer is only about two hectares and as such allows for little bargaining power against large corporates. This is the crux of the issue resulting in massive protests by farmers against the Narendra Modi government's new laws designed to open agricultural markets and eliminate government price supports.
The laws mean that farmers can deal directly with private corporations, an arrangement that farmers believe puts them entirely at their mercy. Under the old system they dealt through agents, sometimes known to farm families over generations. The agents served as buyers and banks, often lending money at planting time and recouping it later.
At present farmers sell their produce mostly at wholesale markets that ensure government support prices serve as a floor. The markets are organized by committees of large landowners, commission agents who act on behalf of farmers arranging suitable storage and transport. Under the new system, private agricultural businesses, grocers and supermarkets can buy directly from farmers and government price supports have been eliminated. Farmers believe it puts them at the mercy of agro-business.
The government claims the present system will also continue but the farmers think that private buyers will first offer farmers attractive prices causing the present wholesale market system to be abandoned in a few years; after which the farmers will be at the mercy of the private players and ripe for exploitation. They believe they cannot trust or allow big business to establish prices and crops.
Centered around Delhi now, the farmer protests are aimed at closing roads entering or leaving the capital. Protests and demonstrations have been ongoing since August, and have occurred across the country although most forcefully in Punjab and Haryana the Indian bread basket states.
Supporters include a score of farmers unions as well as the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTE) a union of 9.5 million truckers and 5 million bus and taxi drivers. Any stoppage by AIMTC would bring the movement of goods and people across India almost to a halt.
Couple that to a push by protesters to disrupt rail services and it could end up with Bharat Bandh (closed India). The rails are a two-edged sword for they also affect the transport of fertilizer needed by farmers as well as other critical goods.
It is more usual for the Modi government to ignore protesters and the fact that they are sitting down with the farmers' representatives is an indicator of the huge voting bloc they form. Their principal demands are a repeal of the new farm laws and a re-establishment of minimum support prices. For the farmers it is a literal matter of life or death.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.