Bengal, Tamil Nadu might soon join national e-agri platform

Govt to unveil new model APMC law for states next week

West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are expected to be the next two big states which could become part of the Centre’s electronic National Agriculture Market (eNaM).

The Centre could also direct states to end all forms of physical trading in the 400-odd wholesale markets (mandis) where eNAM has been set up.

Discussions on these and other issues concerning reforms in agricultural marketing were part of a day-long deliberation between secretaries from states and the central government in this regard, under the ambit of the NITI Aayog.

The officials' meeting will be followed by an interaction between state ministries and the Union Government next week, where a draft of a new model APMC Act might be released for them to consider adopting.

“Since our earlier review meeting on agricultural marketing reforms, in October last year, many states have shown considerable progress, while some others have assured on quickening the process,” Ashok Dalwai, additional secretary in the ministry of agriculture, told reporters.

The Centre’s nine-point list of ushering needed reforms in agricultural marketing comprises the allowing by states of  private markets, facilitating direct marketing of produce, allowing setting up of farmer-consumer markets, allowing contract farming, e-trading in farm commodities, single point levy of market fees across a state, single trading licences, delinking the provision of compulsory requirement of shops and spaces in mandis, and delinking of fruit and vegetables from mandis run by Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).

The Centre is also pressing states on quicker adoption of model land lease laws, exempting all kinds of tree species grown on private land from felling and transit regulations, and adoption of  new model APMC and Contract Acts.

Dalwai said since the earlier meeting, Maharashtra had allowed the setting up of 41 private mandis and Gujarat of 25. On direct marketing, Maharashtra had issued 527 licences since October, Karnataka of 37 and Rajasthan has given approval to 76 entities which allow private big processors, traders and companies to buy directly from farmers.

On contract farming, Uttarakhand has notified the rules,  Haryana has given permission to seven companies and Punjab to one, comprising cultivation of a wide set of crops.

On e-NaM, officials said in 12-odd months since inception, 18 states had adopted the electronic market platform and 13 had altered their three main rules, necessary to get the central grant of Rs 30 lakh per mandi for setting up the platform.

“From this year, we are also giving an extra Rs 40 lakh per mandi for setting up of grading and assaying facilities, while another Rs 5 lakh will be given for setting up of a waste management unit,” Dalwai added.

He said in the first stage, the central government was emphasising on converting all physical trade in mandis into electronic mode. Then, it would press for inter-state trading licences and, at a later stage, intra-state ones.