New agri laws will encourage youths to opt for career in farming: Jitendra

Union minister Jitendra Singh Friday said the new farm-related reforms effected by the Centre will benefit young agricultural entrepreneurs and encourage them to opt for a career in farming.

During an interaction with farmers, sarpanches and activists from Jammu and Kashmir's Doda and Kisthwar districts, he said, the reforms have huge futuristic vision and are aimed at enabling the young educated farmer of today to exercise his options in promoting his entrepreneurship and putting his technical knowledge to the best utility.

As the benefits of these reforms begin to be realised with each passing day, several youths from non-agricultural families will also start looking for a career as start-ups in the field of agriculture, the Minister of State for Personnel said.

The earlier arrangement of crops being sold through Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) held some relevance about 50 years ago, said Singh, adding the time has changed, markets have opened up and the accessibility has become easier.

Today's youth is well-connected, well informed and has the capacity to reach out and therefore, the new reforms are in keeping with the requirements of contemporary times, he said.

All the young farmers and the local panchayat representatives who participated in the interaction were unanimous in saying they welcomed the three farm legislations brought by the Modi government, according to a Personnel Ministry statement.

They also alleged that the protests against the legislations were being stage-managed and sponsored by the middlemen who feel that their vested interests will not be served in the times to come, it said.

The local activists who participated in the programme said that they will reach out to each and every farmer to defeat the sinister design by the vested elements to mislead the farmers, the statement said.

The government has been saying that the three farm laws, which were passed by Parliament recently amid a vociferous Opposition protest, will raise farmers' income, free them from the clutches of the middleman and usher in new technology in farming.

The Opposition and some farmers' organisations have, however, been agitating against the laws alleging they will destroy the Minimum Support Price mechanism, end APMCs and allow corporates to arm-twist farmers.