Ground Zero: New agriculture law may not spell the end of commission agents

The last of a two-part series finds how farmers in Punjab depend on commission agents for credit

The Modi government has defended The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act on two principal counts: greater choice to farmers and more importantly freeing them from the clutches of commission agents (or arthiyas). But many farmers, even those who aren’t part of the protests in Punjab expressed fear of losing access to the services of commission agents. Ironic as it may sound, Adani’s silo storage facilities lists farmers ability to sell directly without involving commission agents at its silos as one of its unique selling points. But farmers selling at the Adani silo and FCI officials confirmed