Slide 1 - Number of APMCs and farmers trading through APMC?

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare told Lok Sabha in February
2018 that there are 6,946 regulated wholesale APMC mandis. 

 In India, nearly 86% of landholding are owned by small & marginal farmers.
These farmers, given their small marketable surplus, do not find it economical
to bear the transport costs to take their harvests to mandis. So, only 14% of
the total farmers in India i.e 14-18 Mn Farmers trade their produce through
APMC.

Slide 2 – Increase in MSP?

From 2014-15 to the current fiscal year until November, the average annual
inflation for food grains was barely 4%, while the MSP for all crops had grown
at 8%. It can be concluded that the MSP during the year 2004-05 to 2013-14
was almost at par with food inflation (WPI-food grains) whereas during 2014-
15 to 2020-21, the MSP rate increase is almost double the rate of increase in
WPI of food grains resulting in more gains to farmers
In the NDA regime during 2014-19, the government disbursed Rs 8 lakh crore
on procurement of wheat and rice as against the payment of Rs 3.74 lakh
crore during 2009-14 when the UPA was at the helm.

Slide 3 – Supreme Court committee formed to solve the farmer- Govt

conflict on Farm Laws

In January this year, the apex court suspended the implementation of the farm
laws passed by Parliament in September, 2020. The three-member committee
was appointed by the Supreme Court on January 12 for evaluation of the farm
laws against which farmers from many states have been protesting. Samyukt
Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 protesting farmers’ unions,
rejected the committee and called it pro-government hours after its formation.
Slide 4 – Meetings between Government and the protesting farmers to
end the protest.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting against the laws at Delhi borders
for almost two months now.  To end the protest there were eleventh round of
talks between the government and the representatives of the farmer unions.
After the 11th round of negotiations, the govt says they cannot offer a better
proposal than suspending the laws for 12-18 months. The farmers, however,
refused to relent from their demand of a full repeal of the laws. 

Slide 5 – losses due to farmers’ protest

A daily loss of ₹3,000-₹3,500 crore is resulting in the economies of the region
from the value chain and transport disruption because of the protests
according to Industry body Assocham
According to an estimate by The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT),
about 30 to 40%% of the goods coming to Delhi have been affected by the
movement of farmers, which is adversely affecting the trade and other
activities of Delhi and neighbouring states, the traders’ body stated.