Vested interests misleading farmers on agri laws: Adityanath

"Our work during the last year has been testimony of the fact that the state government has been working towards doubling the income of farmers by ascertaining they get the best price for their produce and a proper market," the chief minister said while speaking in the state Assembly on the motion of thanks on the Governor''s address. 

He came down heavily on the opposition party leaders saying they had done nothing for farmers. 

"In furtherance of their vote-bank politics, the Opposition parties have only used the farmers and are now blocking their progress for which the Centre and state has paved way,” he said. 

Alleging that the Opposition was ignorant about the positives of the farm bills, he said, 

"They are the ones who do not understand the difference between MRP and MSP or a cane field and mango field. It is nothing short of a sin to oppose these bills which are meant for the welfare of farmers.” 

Stressing that the farm laws would prove to be a “boon” for farmers and become a “milestone” in the times to come, the chief minister said the laws came into being in June 2020 and since then no mandi has closed, contrary to the misinformation campaign unleashed by the opposition just for the sake of opposing the ruling dispensation at the Centre and state. 

"Why would we modernise the mandis if we had any plan to close them… the state government is developing 27 mandis as modern kisan mandis and cold storage facilities are being provided in 24 of them,” he said. 

He said, it had been reaffirmed by the Centre and state that MSP would stay, the middlemen will be removed, land would remain with farmers and the agreement would be on the produce not on land. 

He asserted that the laws would further simplify agri-trade for the betterment of farmers as contract farming would provide more benefits to them under the new laws. 

The chief minister said it was his government which ensured that 119 sugar mills continue to operate during the COVID-19 national lockdown. 

As much as 31 crore quintal of sugarcane was crushed during this period and Rs 5,954 crore was paid to cane farmers, he added. 

He also said that his government has reduced mandi fee and made record purchase of paddy in the state.