The three Farm Bills that were passed in Parliament would not affect farmers in Tamil Nadu, Agriculture Minister R. Doraikkannu said in Chennai, on a day when farmer associations held protests in various parts of the State against the legislations.
Speaking to reporters in the Secretariat on Friday, Mr. Doraikkannu contended that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was a farmer himself and would not accept any legislation against the interests of farmers in the State.
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Agriculture Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi said that Tamil Nadu was the first State in the country to have passed a Bill in the State Legislative Assembly over contract farming in 2019, even before the Centre passed the legislation in the Parliament.
The legislation for contract farming would help farmers get a fair price for their agricultural produce through contracts with companies buying their produce. “With contracts in writing, farmers can get a price agreed upon by both parties for sure, in exchange for their agricultural produce,” he said. Replying to a query, Mr. Bedi pointed out that it was a voluntary scheme and those who were not interested could continue to sell their agricultural produce like before, and there was no compulsion for them to join.
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With the Contract Farming Act, a tomato farmer can sign an agreement with a company to buy his/her produce in the next few months at a rate on agreed by both parties and as per the agreement, the company has to buy as per the agreement, he said. The Act also provided for a channel for the farmer to raise his appeal in case of a dispute, he said and pointed out that in the absence of the Act, there was no such channel available for the farmer.