States Need to Initiate Reforms in APMC Act

The Government formulated a Model Act on Agri-Marketing reform in 2003 and Model Rules in 2007. The Government has since been pursuing the State Governments to adopt the Model Act and Rules. The Model Act inter-alia provides for alternative models through which farmers can access larger markets viz. setting up of markets in private and cooperative, contract farming, farmer consumer market and direct marketing. License for these alternative models under the Model Act is to be issued by prescribed authority of the State Government. Further some of the States have developed Kisan mandis (Farmers/ Consumer markets) managed and operated by Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). These markets variously named provide a platform to the farmers for sale of their fresh fruits and vegetables directly to the consumers without the involvement of middlemen. These include the Rythu Bazar of Andhra Pradesh, Apni mandi of Haryana, Kisan mandi of Himachal Pradesh, Raithara Santhe of Karnataka, Krushak Bazar of Odisha, Apni mandi of Punjab, Uzhavar Sandhai of Tamil Nadu etc. This information was given today by Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Shri Tariq Anwar in a written reply to Rajya Sabha questions.