NEW DELHI: Amidst the ongoing farmers’ agitation, former senior official of NITI Aayog and agriculture expert Tajamul Haque has called for amendments in the contentious farm laws for longtime objectives of agriculture.
Haque, former chairman of the Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices, said that the government should give a legal sanctity to the MSP without committing for 100 per cent public procurement to protect the interests of the farmers.
Quoting the NSSO data, Haque argued that even in the case of major crop like kharif paddy only 29 per cent of the total quantity sold was through the mandis, while 49 per cent was sold to local private traders and input dealers at lower prices.