Food License in HP: Reject Draconian Anti-Farmer Move By Congress Government in Himachal Pradesh

4th August, 2014

All India Kisan Sabha strongly condemns the Himachal Pradesh Government’s decision requiring Farmers to acquire a “Food License” to sell vegetables, fruits and milk. The draconian move making it mandatory for Farmers to register themselves under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 also prescribes imprisonment for six months and a fine of Rs.5 Lakh if Farmers are found selling their produce without the “Food License”. This move is clearly aimed to promote interests of big retailers, big traders and middlemen who stand to lose if the Farmers have direct access to the Consumers. The Congress Government which favours FDI in Retail trade is protecting the interests of big retailers who want to source fruits, vegetables and milk products cheaply from the Farmers. AIKS calls upon the peasantry to rise up in protest to defeat this conspiracy and call upon the people of the State to go in for a Mass Movement until the move is withdrawn totally.

Farmers in Himachal Pradesh have traditionally been cultivating fruits and vegetables and are in a big way into dairy farming to meet their livelihood requirements. A large number of those engaged in dairy farming are women who try to supplement the meagre family earnings through this activity. Thousands of small and marginal Farmers take their produce and sell them in the nearby towns by going door-to-door. Fruits and vegetables as well as dairy products are produced on their small landholdings braving risks for their own consumption as well as sale in the nearby towns. It is well-known that the Hill State produces more of horticultural products than the staple Rabi and Kharif crops. The door-to-door sale also is well accepted by the residents and there exists a long-standing healthy Producer-Consumer relationship built on trust.

The Government is resorting to intimidation by making repeated announcements that the Act will be imposed from 4th August onwards. Rather than having a fool-proof mechanism in place for quality control the Government is coming up with the unrealistic proposition of burdening the Farmers with branding and packaging all products. Most people engaged in this practice are small and marginal Farmers with small landholdings and meagre earnings. The quantity of produce sold by the individual Farmers is limited and often the entire Family is engaged in selling the produce. Requiring every seller to register paying a registration fee is unacceptable and infringes on the rights of the peasantry.

AIKS warns the Congress Government that the Peasantry will not be cowed down by threats and will rebuff this move and protect its rights. All units across Himachal Pradesh will hold protests till this draconian move is withdrawn.

Sd/-

Amra Ram, President

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary