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What is Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce Bill that triggered protests? Explained

According to the government, "the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, seeks to provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers' produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-State and intra-State trade and commerce of farmers' produce outside physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various State agricultural produce market legislations; to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto".

However, farmers across several states are up in arms against three farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre. The farmers are demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

As the government seeks to get Parliament's approval for the three bills, BJP's oldest ally the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to move out of the government protesting the legislations. Harsimrat Kaur, the lone minister of the BJP's long-standing ally Shiromani Akali Dal, has quit opposing the 'anti-farmer ordinances'.

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