Highlights of the new Farm Bills passed in Parliament
India's farming sector is poised for a sweeping change in
reforms, as promised by the Central Government in late 2019. In
September 2020, the Upper House of the Parliament introduced three
new Bills as reforms to the agricultural and farming sector, which
aim to liberalize the farming ecosystem significantly. These three
Bills, namely, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Bill
(Promotion and Facilitation), the Farmers Agreement of Price
Assurance and Farm Services (Empowerment and Protection) Bill, and
the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, aim to revolutionize
the way farm operations are carried out in India.
The introduction of these Bills is in line with the
government's vision of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022.
The Bills broadly focus on providing access to direct marketing
mechanisms, reducing farm wastage and price stability, creating an
open ecosystem beyond mandis (co-operatives), enabling
