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

New Delhi,
Union Minister for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers WelfareR adha Mohan Singh has said here on Friday 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 acorrective reform with the states.

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh releasing the publication at the inauguration of the National Summit on “Smart Agriculture Marketing Solutions-To Double Farmers Income”, in New Delhi on July 14, 2017.

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh releasing the publication at the inauguration of the National Summit on “Smart Agriculture Marketing Solutions-To Double Farmers Income”, in New Delhi on July 14, 2017.

Addressing the National Agriculture Marketing Summit on the theme ‘Regenerating Agriculture through Smart
Marketing Solutions – To Double Farmers’ Income’, organized by FICCI with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare, Government of India, 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.
On the occasion, a FICCI Knowledge Paper ‘Agriculture Marketing – An Overview and Way Forward’ was released by
the dignitaries.
Mr. Prabhu Lal Saini, Minister for Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy, Government of
Rajasthan, the state partner of the summit, said that though a desert state, Rajasthan was fast gaining ground in the
area of crop diversification and was among the top producers of some of the crops such as coriander and mustard.
Mr. Saini said that the Government of Rajasthan in collaboration with FICCI had successfully hosted Global Rajasthan
Agritech Meet (GRAM) in 2016 in Jaipur and in Kota this year, where farmers were exposed to best agriculture practices.
The event brought together the stakeholders to accelerate development of sustainable agricultural and allied activities
through innovative methods and best practices.
Mr. R.V. Kanoria, Chairman & MD, Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Limited & Past President, FICCI, said that
technology would play a key role in empowering farmers and augmenting productivity in the country. There is a need
for newer approach to strengthen agriculture marketing system, where the synergies of both the public sector and the
private sector are harnessed for the benefit of farmers. He urged private players need to step forward and look at
developing private mandis and come aboard e-NAM (National Agriculture Market). He added that there was a need for
creating linkages and developing infrastructure.
Ms. Shilpa Divekar Nirula, Chair, FICCI National Committee on Agriculture, said that enabling policies for access to
inputs, credit, markets and innovations will result in increased productivity, profitability and growth. With changes in
production scenario it is necessary to have effective agricultural marketing reforms to ensure that the farming is
remunerative. She added that infrastructure was needed to be created and it was to forge partnerships between private
and public sectors.
Mr. Samir Shah, Co-Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee & MD & CEO, NCDEX, said that the launch of eNAM
will help in creating a unified national market for agricultural commodities. The emphasis on digitalization will
usher in a new avenue to strengthen market information system by involving private sectors. Also with GST in place
now, it will facilitate a free moving market which will have far-reaching implications on agriculture as well.
Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI and Mr. Vinay Mathur, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI, also shared their
perspectives on the topic.

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