Thousands of small and marginal farmers here who are selling milk, fruits and vegetables everyday in the towns will now have to procure a food licence. The government has fixed August 4 as the last date for farmers to acquire the licence. If any farmer is found selling his products without the licence, he could be jailed for six months and invite a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
The registration has been made mandatory for all farmers under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The farmers will have to submit their yearly return record, medical certificate and photographs with the authorities.
The required formalities and repeated announcements by the local authorities have created a panic amongst the small farmers and their families.
A delegation of villagers on Saturday met the Municipal Commissioner and Medical Officers under the leadership of Himachal Kisan Sabha on the issue. The Sabha requested the authorities to make a joint registration of a family selling milk or vegetables instead of individual members.
“I send my children and my wife to deliver the milk to three nearby houses in the town when I am working in the fields”, said Baburam, a farmer who is now worried about the implementation of this Act after August 4. All farmers, big or small, will now have to pay the same registration fees for selling any of their products. To maintain the same quality and quantity of fat in the milk throughout the year is also not possible, said farmers.
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