The Nuances, Challenges and intricacies of the Indian Farm Reforms of 2020

Abstract

India’s economy is rural rather than urban-based. The newly enacted laws – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 or the Contract Farming Law, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 or the Market Place Law and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 envisage to bring change to some of the key aspects of this agrarian economy such as trade in agricultural commodities, price assurance, farm services including contracts and stock limits for essential commodities. These Acts sought to bring much needed reforms in the agricultural marketing system – ‘One Nation, One Market’ and ‘Freedom of Choice of Markets’ to the farmers of the nation. This dissertation will examine the constitutional validity of all the three legislations. The possibilities of contract farming in India by comparative analysis and case study. It also looks at the practicality of the market place law in India and its repercussions on Agriculture Produce Market Committees and the Minimum Support Price system. The implications on the food security of the nation are also reflected upon.