FARMERS
The farmers' agitations ring the alarm bells to the deep crisis in the agriculture sector. The BJP/NDA government's response has been callous and brutal. Farmers do not get fair and remunerative prices for their produce; nor do the producers have adequate avenues to market their produce.
Agriculture
Congress is the only party that has lent its ear to the distress call of the farmers and farm labour and we are determined to do everything possible to alleviate their pain and make agriculture a desirable livelihood.
1. Congress will give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
2. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) will be made a statutory body.
3. MSP payable to the farmer-seller at the procurement centres and APMCs will be directly credited digitally to the bank account of the farmer.
Supporting Marketing Infrastructure:
In consultation with farmers' organizations, we will make available to farmers three avenues for sale of agricultural produce:
a. Regulated Market under the prevailing APMC Act.
b. E-market that will be operated by an autonomous body with representation of farmers' organizations, Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs) and individual progressive farmers.
c. Freedom to the farmer to sell agricultural produce at the farm-gate or at any other place of choice with an option to upload the sale-and-purchase agreement on a digital ledger.
Related Agricultural Support:
7. We will establish farmers' retail markets in large villages and small towns to enable the farmers to bring their produce and sell the same to consumers.
8. Congress will formulate and implement a sound import-export policy for agricultural commodities, which will give paramount importance to protecting the interests and concerns of farmers.
9. We will revive the system of Agricultural Extension Services to disseminate the best knowledge and best practices to every agricultural holding.
10. We will double the value of the output in dairying and poultry in five years.