Farm laws

The Farm Laws in India refer to three agricultural reforms introduced by the Government of India in September 2020, aiming to transform the agricultural sector. These laws were:

• The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 – This law aimed to allow farmers to sell their produce outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis, promising a larger market and potentially better prices.
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 – This act allowed for contract farming, enabling farmers to enter agreements with agri-business firms, processors, and exporters.
• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 – This amended the Essential Commodities Act to deregulate the production, storage, and distribution of key commodities like cereals, pulses, and onions.

The laws faced massive opposition from farmers, especially in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Farmers feared that the laws would dismantle the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by large corporations. The protests, starting in late 2020, saw thousands of farmers camp at Delhi's borders for months, demanding the complete repeal of the laws.

The government maintained that the laws would empower farmers by providing more selling options and reducing market restrictions. However, after sustained protests and negotiations, the government repealed the laws in November 2021, acknowledging the farmers’ concerns and the lack of consensus on the reforms.

In December 2020, BOOM fact-checked a BJP graphic that used a protester’s photo to promote the Farm Laws, falsely implying support for the laws among farmers.

BOOM found out the photo featured Harpreet Singh, also known as Harp Farmer, a prominent critic of the laws. Singh clarified that the use of his photo was unauthorized, and he planned to take legal action against BJP Punjab for misrepresenting his stance.