With the agitation continuing, finding a meeting ground for farmers and the government could be difficultThe farmers’ protest that currently ring-fences Delhi resists resolution as the air is dense with contrary sets of truths and half-truths. The “arhtiyas” (or, the mandi middlemen) are not seen as villains by farmers in Punjab and Haryana but function as lifeline links. Small farmers complain that big contractors easily renege on their commitments and either refuse to buy the produce or beat down the price once harvesting is done. This conceals the fact that most small farmers find the transportation cost too expensive as APMC-run mandis are few and far between. When this is contextualised, we find that only 2% of U.S. farmers are below poverty line, but 85% of Indian farmers are small and marginal.

Source: The Hindu December 24, 2020 18:35 UTC