Indian lawmakers approved two agriculture bills that the federal government says will reform the country’s deeply stressed agriculture sector and give farmers the freedom to market their produce.

The farm bills — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 will now be sent to the President of India for assent.

However, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 could not be taken up due to time constraints.

However, the Opposition parties protested against the bills, urging the Indian government to refer the bills to a select committee.

The lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament – Lok Sabha – has passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 that aims to deregulate food items, including cereals, pulses, and onion.

The bill provides that stock limits may be imposed on agri-produce only if there is a steep price rise. Also, it allows the federal government to regulate the supply of some food items only under “extraordinary circumstances” such as war, famine, among others.

However, the farmer unions and opposition parties are protesting against the proposed legislation, claiming that it will not only phase out the MSP (Minimum Support Price) and the traditional grain market system but also crush the small as well as marginal farmers.