NPR/Tens of thousands of farmers manned barricades and blocked highways Friday around India’s capital of New Delhi for a ninth straight day, protesting new agricultural laws they fear may hurt their already-meager profits.
Passed in September, three new laws aim to deregulate Indian agriculture, by encouraging farmers to sell directly to companies. The government has long been a middle man, guaranteeing minimum prices for certain crops. The laws say farmers will still have price assurances, but the language is vague, and farmers are nervous about losing government support.
