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Farm Acts, Let’s Spread Reality

1. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill

Allow farmers to sell their produce outside d Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)

@TajinderBagga @KapilMishra_IND @MODIfiedVikas

#HonestFarmersWithPmModi

Digging out old unrelated images and videos and circulating them with a false narrative has become a booming cottage industry. Thread on the misinformation that has been spread to discredit farmers' protest and how #AltNewsFactCheck has busted each claim.👇1/n

In the right-wing mind, the easiest way to malign is to manufacture a Muslim angle. So an old photo that predates the bills was dug out & falsely shared BJP office bearers and supporters as Muslim man disguised as Sikh to participate in the agitation. 2/n

80+ yo 'Shaheen Bagh Dadi' still rattles the RW like no other. So a photo of an elderly Punjabi woman was shared with the false claim that she is Bilkis Bano and is paid to join the protest. KanganaRanaut, GaruavPradhan were among those who shared it. 3/n

When the Muslim angle failed, Khalistan angle was pulled out. An old video of pro-Pak, Khalistan chants during cricket World Cup match in UK was shared as farmers' protest. BJP's PritiGandhi, PunitAgwaral etc shared this. 4/n

A photograph shot during anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh in February was shared with the false claim that it shows 'Hathras Bhabhi' at farmers' protest. BJP leaders were joined by supporters like Shefali Vaidya in spreading the misinformation 5/n

Ever wondered how MSP for crops is calculated ?

Below is an attempt to present a simplified view, followed by some pertinent questions (just to have better understanding, not taking sides)&

The MSP is usually based on the recommendations by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP

This estimation is usually done based on three types of calculation methods. These are A2 method, A2+FL method and C2 method.

As per the A2 method, MSP is set 50% higher than the amount farmer spends on farming including spending on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and labour.

C2 method includes A2 factors + economic value of the efforts of family members working on the farm + the value of other spending including rent and other assets. After calculating these, MSP is set at 50% above the derived amount.

A2+FL method is middle ground between the other methods were the MSP is set 50% higher than the amount that derives the amount farmer spend on farming on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and labour and the value of labour provided by the family members for agriculture.

Long Thread on Farmers protests & Agri reforms: What is the protest all about? Who gets impacted & how? Why are protests concentrated in Punjab & Haryana? Are these really farmers or traders losing grip on monopoly? Are farmers being misled? Let numbers do the talking. Here we go

A top-down view of Indian production is in order here. What does India’s agriculture produce in a year? I like the below chart for FY 2015. Now to understand the complexity, we’ll have to work with one crop & dig details. Let’s work with Wheat.

In 2020, India is looking at 105 million tons of Wheat produce vs 94 mn tons in 2015. What does the growth look like? See below the YoY growth of wheat in India. A 105 mn tons in 2020 will bust the chart below. Forget nay-sayers,Indian agriculture is doing great production.

Something is working well when production goes up consistently. However,while supply is great, demand is not growing as much. Look at the wheat consumption in India. As you see, the demand is consistently below supply by ~ 10 mn tons. Who needs this extra 10% wheat? Not Indians.

Can we export? Unlikely! This is where it gets complicated. Let’s see the United States Dept of Agriculture report on agriculture.The European Union, China, and India accounted for a little over 50 percent of the world’s wheat production (762 mn tons) in 2018/19.

The farmer is not our saintly anadata!

Yes they deserve respect for what they do but it's fact that he doesn't do anyone else a favour by growing foodgrains. Remember farming is his occupation that earns him a livelihood that provides for his family. Just like the rest of us.
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No one is forcing a #farmer to carry on farming if he can't make it pay for itself.

We have witnessed farmers migration for better life in states like Bihar, Jharkhand and UP.

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We know that farmers are given free power, free water, subsidies on seed, subsidies on fertiliser, MSP, and others. Farmers are not even charged income tax.

Even after all this benefits if "Large Farmers" can't be profitable there is something wrong in their intention!

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It is true that farming is subsidised around the world. But not to the extent that is being demanded in India. Both in absolute terms and in relative terms our farm subsidies are very high.

It is still ok but the benefits should be given to small and marginal farmers

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We need to allow consolidation of farm holdings and our subsidies need to be rationalised.

More than our farmers it is the landless labour of rural and urban India that deserves our sympathy and government support.

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Agricultural Acts - twisted facts Vs facts.

1. farmer can not sell his bag of rice in Assam from AP since it is one national market hence the act is not useful is twisting of fact.

Fact is with market yard check posts gone there will be freedom of movement of goods .

With freedom to buy outside market yards and within market yards competition will be more benefitting the farmer with a better price .market yards also improve their performance since there is competition . #FarmersAct2020
#DelhiFarmersProtest

Agricultural laws - apprehensions -truth

2. Apprehension .
The present government market yards will be forced to shut down due to the new act .
Truth
This is not correct . Government market yards have Freeland given by government , corpus from market fee .

Nominated market committee chairmen who till now are milking the market yards for personal benefit now be responsible and responsive to farmers since alternative of selling out side market yard is available . #AgriculturalLaw #DelhiFarmersProtest

#Agriculturallaws - Apprehensions - Truth

3.Apprehension
Ambanis and Adanis will set up private markets . Agricultural commodities will go into corporate hands

Truth
Private capital comes only when there are profits . Market yards do not seem to be very profitable.