Govt nod now must for traders buying farm produce from Maharashtra farmers

No private trader can purchase agriculture products from farmers in Maharashtra without the state government's permission, according to a decision taken by the cabinet on Tuesday.

The decision taken by the cabinet also stated that taking a licence from the marketing committee or director of the marketing department will be mandatory for buying agriculture products from cultivators.  The marketing director has been authorised to issue a Single Unified Licence to traders to trade across the country. In another decision, the cabinet approved a proposal to establish a cadre of marketing committee secretaries under the authority of marketing director.  The cabinet also pushed for effective implementation of the e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) scheme in the state so that farmers get reasonable rates for their produce. The central scheme will cover 133 Agriculture Marketing Produce Committees (APMCs) in Maharashtra. National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis (marketplaces) to create a unified national market for farm commodities.