**Executive Summary**
This document is the Indian Government's response to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 50 regarding the demands of farmers' union organizations. The response, to be answered on February 3rd, 2026, addresses farmers' concerns related to protests, free trade agreements, rural employment, fiscal arrangements, and trust-building measures. The Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare presented a statement on the Table of the House addressing points (a) to (e) of the question.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Farmers' Concerns and Government Response:**
* The Government proactively addresses farmers' socio-economic well-being.
* Seven rounds of discussions were held with farmer organizations (SKM & KMM) after the repeal of the three Farm Laws in 2021.
* Issues addressed include electricity amendment, national commissions for spices, tribal rights, penalties for fake seeds/fertilizers, and paddy-straw burning penalties.
* **Free Trade Agreements (FTAs):**
* India is a net agricultural exporter.
* The Government negotiates FTAs while carefully safeguarding the interests of Indian agriculture, allied sectors, and farmers.
* Safeguards are in place to protect sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy from unfair competition.
* **Rural Employment and Farm Incomes:**
* Concerns addressed under the *Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen).*
* Guaranteed wage employment increased from 100 to 125 days per financial year.
* State Governments can pause wage employment for up to 60 days during peak seasons.
* States' role in implementing rural employment programs is continuously examined.
* The Government ensures timely and affordable credit through various measures like KCC.
* **Trust Building & Prices:**
* The Government is engaging regularly with farmers through initiatives like *Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan*.
* MSP is fixed at 1.5 times the cost of production for 22 agricultural crops.
* Crop diversification is promoted through procurement of pulses and cotton under specific missions via NAFED and NCCF.
* **Infrastructure and Market Access:**
* The Government implements a Central Sector Scheme for Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs.
* Post-harvest and marketing infrastructure is being strengthened under various schemes (AIF, AMI, RKVY, MIDH).
* A digital price discovery platform, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), is being implemented across 23 States and 4 UTs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Farmers**
* **Impact:** Addressed concerns related to socio-economic well-being, rural employment, market access, fair prices, and protection from adverse impacts of FTAs. Enhanced access to credit, increased wage employment days, and improved market infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Engage with government initiatives and utilize available schemes to improve income and market access.
**Stakeholder: State Governments**
* **Impact:** Given increased authority in implementing rural employment programs, particularly regarding pausing employment during peak seasons.
* **Action Required:** Notify pause in wage employment works for up to 60 days during peak sowing and harvesting seasons.
**Stakeholder: Government (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare)**
* **Impact:** Required to address farmers' concerns proactively and expedite solutions for their socio-economic well-being.
* **Action Required:** Continue sustained dialogue with farmer organizations and implement existing schemes effectively.
**Stakeholder: National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF)**
* **Impact:** Involved in crop diversification through the procurement of pulses and cotton under specific missions.
* **Action Required:** Procure Tur, Urad, and Masoor under the Pulses Atmanirbharta Mission and cotton under the Cotton Mission from pre-registered farmers.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The primary government body responsible for agriculture and farmer welfare, answering questions related to demands of farmers union organizations.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM): A farmers' organization that has announced renewed nationwide farmers' protests citing agrarian distress.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): A scheme related to rural employment, with concerns raised about its dilution by farmer's unions.
Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen): A newly enacted act related to rural employment and farm incomes, addressing concerns raised by farmers' unions.
National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): A digital price discovery platform being implemented across multiple states and union territories to enable farmers to make informed decisions.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 50
TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2026
DEMANDS OF FARMERS UNION ORGANISATIONS
*50. SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has
announced renewed nationwide farmers' protests citing continued agrarian distress and
non-fulfilment of assurances given after the withdrawal of the three farm laws in 2021;
(b) whether the Government has assessed concerns of farmers' organisations that
proposed free trade agreements, including with the United States, may adversely affect
Indian agriculture and the dairy sector by exposing small and marginal farmers,
particularly in Kerala including Kasaragod, to unfair competition,
(c) whether farmers' unions have opposed proposed measures relating to power sector
privatisation, dilution of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS) and implementation of labour codes, citing adverse impacts on farm
incomes and rural employment;
(d) whether demands for strengthening federal fiscal arrangements, including a higher
share for States, have been examined; and
(e) the steps taken to restore trust with farmers, ensure remunerative prices, safeguard
domestic agriculture and prevent renewed large-scale protests?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 50 FOR 3RD FEBRUARY, 2026 REGARDING
‘DEMANDS OF FARMERS UNION ORGANISATIONS'
(a): Issues relating to farmers are addressed proactively and expeditiously by the
Government to ensure their socio-economic well-being. After the repeal of the three
Farm Laws in 2021, the Government held seven rounds of discussions in two phases
with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) at the level of
Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister. First discussion was held on 8th
February, 2024. Subsequently, discussions were held on 12th, 15th, 18th February 2024,
14th, 22nd February, 2025 & 19th March, 2025. Through sustained dialogue, most of the
issues, such as, issues relating to the Electricity Amendment Bill; setting up of national
commissions for chilli, turmeric and other spices; rights of tribal communities over
water, forest and land under the Fifth Schedule; stricter punishment for manufacture of
fake/spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides; and rationalisation of penal provisions
related to paddy-straw burning etc. have been addressed.
(b): India is a net agricultural exporter. Government undertakes negotiations for Free
Trade Agreements (FTAs) only after carefully safeguarding the interests of Indian
agriculture, allied sectors and farmers, including small and marginal farmers. Adequate
safeguards are built in to protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy from
unfair competition.
(c) & (d): Farmers' unions' concerns relating to rural employment and farm incomes
have been addressed under the newly enacted Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar
and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen). Under the Act, guaranteed wage employment per
rural household has been enhanced from 100 days to 125 days per financial year, with
provision for unemployment allowance if work is not provided. To ensure availability of
labour for agricultural operations, State Governments have been empowered to notify a
pause in wage employment works for up to 60 days during peak sowing and harvesting
seasons. Further, enhancing States' role in implementing rural employment and
livelihood programmes are examined on continuous basis in consultation with States,
keeping in view federal principles and development priorities.
In addition, Government has ensured timely and affordable credit through
measures such as enhanced agriculture credit targets, Priority Sector Lending norms,
Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), interest subvention, increased collateral-free loan limits,
KCC saturation drives, and strengthening of rural financial institutions.
(e): To restore and strengthen farmers' trust, Government is engaging regularly with
farmers through initiatives such as Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, interactive field visits,
and meetings with farmers' organisations.
To ensure remunerative prices, MSP is fixed at 1.5 times the cost of production
for 22 agricultural crops alongwith undertaking record procurement. To promote crop
diversification, Government is procuring Tur, Urad and Masoor under the Pulses
Atmanirbharta Mission and cotton under the Cotton Mission through National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National
Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) from pre-registered
farmers.Government is also implementing Central Sector Scheme for Formation and
Promotion of 10,000 FPOs to improve farmers' market access and income realisation.
Further, post-harvest and marketing infrastructure is being strengthened under
schemes, such as, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing
Infrastructure (AMI), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Mission for Integrated
Development of Horticulture (MIDH) so that farmers do not make distress sale of their
produce. A digital price discovery platform, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), is
being implemented across 23 States and 4 UTs to enable farmers to make informed
decision.
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