Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — the platform of farmer unions, which led the historic struggle against the three pro-corporate farm laws in 2020-21 — has welcomed the unanimous resolution passed on Tuesday by the Punjab Assembly rejecting Centre’s draft agri-marketing policy. SKM called the assembly’s decision a huge shockwave to multinational companies and big corporations, urged people to rally against the corporate oligarchy in order to resist attacks on food sovereignty and to safeguard the people’s interest.
Groundxero | Feb 26, 2025
The Punjab assembly on Tuesday (25 February, 2025) through a unanimous resolution, rejected the Union government’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM), describing it as an attempt to reintroduce the three farm laws repealed by the Union government in 2021. State Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the state government had already rejected the proposal outright through a written reply to the Union government, calling it detrimental to Punjab’s interests. Mann said that agricultural marketing is a state subject and accused the Narendra Modi led Union government of overstepping its authority and undermining state autonomy. Members cutting across party lines supported the resolution, while the two BJP MLAs in the 117-member Assembly were not present in the House when the resolution was passed.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha is the first legislative Assembly to bring a resolution to reject the draft of NPFAM. Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — the platform of farmer unions which led the historic struggle against the three pro-corporate farm laws in 2020-21 — welcomed the historical decision by the Punjab Assembly to adopt the resolution rejecting NPFAM calling it as a qualitative feat to rally people against the corporate policies.
In a press note issued in the online Press Conference attended by senior farmer union leaders, SKM said “The bold step taken by the Aam Aadmi Party led State Government and unanimously adopted by the opposition parties is a huge shockwave to multinational companies and big corporations. Thus Punjab once again has demonstrated its determination to lead the people of the entire country against the corporate policies being imposed by the Narendra Modi led BJP-NDA Government.”
SKM has pointed out that the so-called NPFAM — draft policy frameworks of unified national agriculture markets — being proposed is nothing but reintroduction of the 3 anti-farmer black laws which SKM forced the Union Government to repeal and therefore the farmers of India will not allow the policy to see the light of day. It also asserted that partial procurement of 25-30% of crops at MSP being suggested by some quarters are anti-farmer, in favor of corporate houses and a conspiracy to deprive farmers of their legal right.
The NPFAM draft aims to push all agriculture activities under control of private corporations and multinational Companies. It proposes to unite all APMC market yards under one united marketing structure in which they are to be redeveloped under PPP model and connected digitally. To develop cluster farming for the food processing industry under corporate control, the policy proposes to start contract farming through FPOs, which will bind all categories of farmers for supply to a network of corporate controlled Retail marketing, Value Addition Chains and food exporters.
SKM said that the policy is a grave threat to the independence of farmers and it will weaken the responsibilities of State Governments to develop agriculture production, processing industries and market infrastructure. Also, such large scale bid for corporatisation and privatisation will gradually destroy farmer welfare schemes of providing subsidised seeds, fertilizers and insecticides and provision of irrigation and marketing infrastructure. This will further impoverish and indebt peasants and deprive them of both, their land and freedom.
Another opposition of the farmer unions to the NPFAM is that it is completely silent on MSP and legally guaranteed procurement as well as on PDS ration distribution, exposing its anti-farmer, anti- worker and anti-poor orientation. SKM from day one has pointed out that all this is being done on the behest of imperialist institutions — the World Bank, the IMF and WTO — in order to open up agricultural retail trade and processed food industry for big corporations including MNCs.
SKM has accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being hell-bent on facilitating corporate takeover of agriculture production and marketing across India even by destroying the federal structure which is one of the cornerstones of the Constitution of India, and has appealed to the Chief Ministers of all the States including those led by the NDA to reject the proposed NPFAM and support the farmers in their struggle against corporatisation of agriculture and protect the federal rights of the State governments.
SKM has resolved to undertake a widespread campaign across the country to rally the farmers at the Panchayat / Village level against the corporate exploitation and build massive and countrywide struggle bigger than the 2020-21 historical farmers struggle to achieve the main demands of the farmers —rejecting the draft NPFAM, enactment of law for MSP@C2+50% with guaranteed procurement for all crops and comprehensive loan waiver among others.
Earlier this month, SKM constituent unions have submitted a letter to Members of Parliament of all the political parties, requesting them to support the genuine demands of farmers including repeal the proposed anti-farmer, anti-State Government ‘National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing’ (NPFAM) and to urge the Prime Minister to accomplish the agreement with SKM dated 9th December, 2021 signed by the NDA2 Government.
Meanwhile, SKM (Bihar chapter) has called for continuous mass protest — Pakka Morcha on 24, 25, 26 March 2025 at Patna demanding the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to adopt a resolution in the State Assembly rejecting the ant-farmer, anti-federal NPFAM. There would be widespread campaigns in the villages across the state to expose the anti-farmer; anti-worker policies of the Nitish Kumar Government in February and March, and mobilize farmers and workers to achieve the demands of MSP@C2+50% with guaranteed procurement, comprehensive loan waiver, remunerative price for milk, paddy and all other crops, implementation of LARR Act 2013 to end loot of land for Sagaramala and other projects, insurance to all crops and livestock, 200 days’ work and Rs 600 as daily wage in MNREGS and Rs 10000 as monthly pension to farmers and agri-workers.
In order to resist this attack on food sovereignty and to safeguard the people’s interest, SKM has urged people to rally against the corporate oligarchy.