farmers protest Archives

Farmers across India are once again protesting for guaranteed crop prices, demanding a host of unmet demands. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh on Friday, February 16. Farmers have been asked to suspend work for a day to press the government for demands, and traders and transporters have also been encouraged to join the strike. The farmers' protests began in 2020 when they rode on tractors and trucks from Haryana and Punjab to demand the repeal of three contentious agricultural laws that they believed would hurt their incomes. The protests drew international support and triggered nationwide demonstrations. In 2021, the Modi government repealed these laws, which was widely seen as a victory for the farme...

ArticleArticlesFoodInternational

Chaos Cultivates As EU Gets Burnt In Fiery Dutch Farmer Protests

Agamapar ChadhaJuly 11, 20220

Dutch farmers have been protesting ever since the Netherlands, a member of the EU, has consented to its laws over the use of pollutants in EU countries. It was stated that the Netherlands had not complied with these 1991 accords and has been recently forced to slash on use of fertilisers which release greenhouse gases. Last month the Dutch cabinet announced a $22 Bn programme focusing on cutting nitrogen emissions down by 50% by the year 2020, with further requiring 70% or more reduction in emissions in some areas. This has indirectly affected the Dutch farmer because they are now required to reduce nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions released by livestock production by 40%. This will cause many to downsize their farms. The policy did not sit well with the farmers and let them prote...

ArticleIndiaPolitics

APMCs Act Bypasses Mandi System: How Important Is Its Current Structure?

Pooja YadavJune 27, 20220

It is also important to recognise that Indian agri-produce markets are decentralised and dynamic. It is contested that the APMCs in some States are inefficient and ridden with corruption and malpractices. Should we abandon the present structures or should we reform the APMC markets? The decision to try to do away with the APMC regime on grounds of inefficiency and monopsony is comparable to the argument against practicing democracy. Should we surrender democracy or federalism because it's not working smoothly? If self-reliance is the purpose of those reforms, should it be achieved through corporates or through people’s agencies like APMCs and FPOs? The way forward is to either leave the intra-State Agri marketing reforms to the States within the spirit of co-operative federal...