APMC Act comes into effect in Uttarakhand

With Governor Margaret Alva giving her assent, the Uttarakhand Agriculture Production Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act 2011, better known as APMC Act, has come into effect in the hill state.

“We have issued a notification for the APMC Act,” said Agriculture Secretary Om Prakash. For the implementation of APMC Act, the government is now working to prepare its bylaws. “Within a month, the bylaws of the APMC Act will be ready. After this exercise, we will be able to implement APMC Act in letter and spirit,” said Prakash. Last month, the state Assembly had passed the APMC bill which seeks to promote exports, contract farming, new reforms and private investments and also provides effective regulation in the marketing of agricultural produces as well as establishment of proper marketing system.

The new Act seeks to regulate the sale and purchase of agriculture produces and envisages establishment of marketing development fund in the hill state. Through the new Act, the government would open doors for private investors like ITC and Reliance which have entered into the agriculture sector in a big way, officials said.

The APMC Act provides for setting up private mandis, enabling contract farming and constitution of regulatory authority. Private mandis would cut out extra cess like mandi cess and other charges, reducing final costs for consumers.