GCMMF Managing Director R S Sodhi has made a strong pitch for a free market for farmers as envisioned in the recent Farm Bills by making an interesting comparison between milk and grain. Sodhi has tweeted to say how freedom to sell milk has led to prosperity for dairy producers.
Taking a leaf from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ” Mann Ki Baat” broadcast this Sunday Sodhi says “Few may know Milk is India’s largest crop worth Rs 8 lac crore more than the combined value of wheat, paddy and sugarcane and farmers are free to sell and buyer free to buy this perishable from anywhere fighting competition at village level”.
In his Sunday speech the Prime Minister said these new reforms will enable farmers to sell their produce anywhere as is the case with those who sell their produce-vegetables and fruits anywhere they like. This freedom is their strength and the same would be available to the farmers of grains, underlined the PM making a strong case for the free market for farmers.
Extolling the virtues of a free market for producers be it that of grains or milk, the Amul MD reminds that due to the compulsion of selling produce to a restricted market has led to a continual decline of the contribution of agriculture in GDP, while the same has been on the rise in the case of dairy.
Sodhi’s tweet on the issue reads “Whereas contribution of agriculture to national GDP is declining, Milk contribution is increasing every year and so is the share of milk in farmers income, thanks to freedom to sell anyone.”
While several followers of Sodhi have cheered him on his bold statement, there were a few who disagreed with him on the issue. One of his followers wrote it very well saying “No MSP for milk. Cooperatives help. No middlemen. That’s the way forward for crops too. #FarmBill2020”.
Another one wrote “All the more reason that one fine week there is no Rush and arm twisting in Mandis and farmers either have contractual buyers or multiple choices to sell. this one-month rush into Mandis creates Glut and arm twisting of farmers.”
One of his followers congratulated him saying “Congratulations to Amul for so many innovations in the last 6 months; Power to Our Cattle, their Rearers, the Cooperatives and your Vision.”
Interestingly, some of the top-notch economists have openly supported Farm Bills 2020 calling them game-changers for the rural economy. Panagaiya, Ainkleshwaer Aiyer, Mohandas Pai are some of them.