Model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017 finds favor amongst States

Mr. Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, said here today that the model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017 was released to the states on April 24, 2017, and has received a positive response regarding its adoption from all states. He suggested that states could declare the warehouses as market sub-yards so that the farmers can store surpluses and sell directly without having to transport the produce to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard. In order to address the constraints of present agricultural marketing system promoted by APMCs and assure accessible marketing facilities to farmers, the Government, he added has shared a corrective reform with the states.

The minister said that famers have not been getting the corresponding increase in remuneration. The government is aware of the urgent requirement of strengthening market systems to reduce postharvest losses to enable famers to tide over both situations of bumper production leading to a glut and abrupt price fall and incidences of less production resulting in the availability of meagre surplus.

Mr. Singh said the approach adopted encompasses both adoptions of cost effective production and diversifying agriculture towards growing of high-value crops, agroforestry, rearing of livestock, poultry, fisheries, etc, as well as creating accessible and efficient markets to ensure better price realisation to the farmers through a robust value supply chain. He added that the government empathises with farmers and for that purpose have formulated farmer welfare centric programs and policies, which is equally related to food security and price security.

He said that only through cross-pollination of expertise and innovations and thereafter synergy during implementation of the programs conceived in mission mode, the goal set for the country by Prime Minister of doubling farmers' income by 2022 is achievable.

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