Corporate biggies calling the shots in farm sector: AIKS
Hyderabad: The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) National General Secretary, Viju Krishnan, expressed concerns regarding the concentration of power in the agricultural sector, highlighting that four corporate companies now control 46 percent of it. He criticized the BJP government for enabling this trend.
Speaking at a seminar organized by the Aribandi Foundation in the city on Thursday, Krishnan linked the liberalization policies introduced since 1990 to the alarming increase in farmer suicides, with four and a half lakh fatalities recorded over the past 30 years. He pointed out that the BJP government has failed to fulfill its promises of doubling farmers' incomes and has not implemented the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee.
Krishnan noted that there have been no reported farmer suicides in West Bengal and Gujarat, yet he criticized the reduction in funding for labor provisions. He opposed the installation of meters for agricultural motors, arguing that it would impose an additional financial burden on farmers.
He argued that the support prices linked to reduced production costs primarily benefit corporations, resulting in significant losses for farmers, especially in the cotton sector. He recalled the farmers' protest against three controversial agricultural laws, which were ultimately repealed after many lives were lost.
Furthermore, Krishnan criticized the new agricultural marketing policy, stating that it resembles the repealed laws and perpetuates inequalities caused by subsidies in other countries. He warned of potential losses arising from free trade agreements and called for the adaptation of farming practices to address climate change, advocating for dairy integration and multi-crop cultivation.
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