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ARTICLE




         REDEFINING






         FARMERS







         INTEREST















         T         he Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)    in India but the contract farming came to limelight in the


                   Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services
                                                              late 1990s with the entry of PepsiCo. In 1997, it set up a
                                                              tomato processing plant in Punjab and started tying up with
                   Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on June 5,
                   2020.  It provides a framework for the protection
                                                              In India, contract farming was regulated under Indian
                   and empowerment of farmers with reference to  local farmers to grow tomato varieties needed for ketchup.
         the sale and purchase of farm products.  The provisions of  contract Act, 1872. The model APMC Act, 2003 provides
         the Ordinance will override all state APMC laws. National  specific provision for contract farming. The Department of
         Agriculture Policy has recognized contract farming as an  Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had released Model
         important aspect of agri-business and its significance for  Contract Farming Act, 2018. The key proposals of model
         small farmers to allow accelerate technology transfer,  contract farming act includes setting up a state-level agency
         capital inflow and assured market for crop production.  called Contract Farming (Development and Promotion)
                                                              Authority.
         History of contract farming in India
                                                                Diagram-1  Contract Farming Model-I
         Contract farming in India was introduced in India in late19th
         century where Indian farmers produced Indigo under British
         Government. Mahatma Gandhi's remarkable 'Champaran                         Buyer
         Satyagraha' had historical milestone in fair contract farming
                              About the author


                       Gajanan A. Patil
                       Chief Manager, Faculty
                       Union Bank of India
                       Staff College, Bengaluru                                    Farmers


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