Maharashtra farmers can soon sell fruits, vegetables directly

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
Farmers in Maharashtra can now hope to sell their horticulture produce to any person or a company of their choice.

A draft notification issued by the Maharashtra Government gives them relief from mandatorily selling their horticulture produce through Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards.

This also means companies in agri-business, food processing and organised retail sector are in for a bonanza. The notification, paving the way for free movement of fruits and vegetables within and outside the State, will delist fruits and vegetable from the AMPC Regulation Act.

The Agriculture Produce Market Committee yards are controlled by a committee that is an autonomous body. Price discovery for vegetables and fruits is done by the committee. This, in turn, helps farmers to sell to traders.

Mr Kishore Toshniwal, Managing Director of Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board, told Business Line that once the notification is issued, then farmers will be able to sell their produce without any hindrance. It will also help reduce wastage of agriculture products and help curb inflation, he said.

Companies will also be able source the products at the farm gate itself. They can also set up cold storages, chains and processing plants close to farms, he said.

"The delisting of fruits and vegetables does not mean that committee controlled market yards will cease to function. It will be there for farmers wanting to sell their produce through the prevailing system," Mr Toshniwal said.

The State Government has invited comments and suggestions on the draft notification. It would be then revised before a final notification is issued, he said.

Business Line : Industry & Economy / Agri-biz : Maharashtra farmers can soon hope to sell fruits, vegetables directly
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
This is great news!

Small farmers who grow only horticulture produce will benefit immensely.

Looks like slowly but surely APMC will be modified.
 

Blackwater

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Messages
21,157
Likes
12,211
Farmers in Maharashtra can now hope to sell their horticulture produce to any person or a company of their choice.

A draft notification issued by the Maharashtra Government gives them relief from mandatorily selling their horticulture produce through Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yards.

This also means companies in agri-business, food processing and organised retail sector are in for a bonanza. The notification, paving the way for free movement of fruits and vegetables within and outside the State, will delist fruits and vegetable from the AMPC Regulation Act.

The Agriculture Produce Market Committee yards are controlled by a committee that is an autonomous body. Price discovery for vegetables and fruits is done by the committee. This, in turn, helps farmers to sell to traders.

Mr Kishore Toshniwal, Managing Director of Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board, told Business Line that once the notification is issued, then farmers will be able to sell their produce without any hindrance. It will also help reduce wastage of agriculture products and help curb inflation, he said.

Companies will also be able source the products at the farm gate itself. They can also set up cold storages, chains and processing plants close to farms, he said.

"The delisting of fruits and vegetables does not mean that committee controlled market yards will cease to function. It will be there for farmers wanting to sell their produce through the prevailing system," Mr Toshniwal said.

The State Government has invited comments and suggestions on the draft notification. It would be then revised before a final notification is issued, he said.

Business Line : Industry & Economy / Agri-biz : Maharashtra farmers can soon hope to sell fruits, vegetables directly
Not untill this ugly piece of shit is alive

 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
Farmers welcome state's decontrol plan

PUNE: The state government's proposal to allow farmers to sell vegetables and fruits directly in the market or to a private company has evoked mixed response from the commission agents at the wholesale markets. However, farmers' organisations have welcomed the move.

The commission agents, who currently influence the sale of vegetables, fruits and spices, through the agriculture produce market committees, will lose their monopoly if the sale of agriculture produce is decontrolled. But, the state has defended the move as investment-friendly and beneficial for farmers and consumers.


The state government had announced the proposal a few weeks ago and had invited objections and suggestions on it till April 30. There are about 300 small and large agriculture produce market committees in the state, which control the sale of agri produce and fruits in the market. Traders source the goods from these market committees and sell them to vendors, who in turn sell them to small retailers. Commission agents normally get an idea about shortage or glut of a particular produce and can manipulate the prices.

All the wholesale markets in the state come under the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board, a government body that looks after the marketing of the produce. A senior official of the board, on condition of anonymity, said, "We are aware of the power wielded by the commission agents vis-a-vis demand and supply of vegetables and fruits. They can manipulate the prices and within hours transactions of lakhs of rupees take place, but farmers hardly get any benefit. The existing laws have given more powers to the market committees. It should be modified as we want private companies to invest in this sector."

When the state government had compiled data of infrastructure in the agriculture produce market committees and its quality, it was found that the infrastructure was inadequate.

The official added: "After implementation of the model act, where private players were allowed to procure vegetables and fruits from farmers directly, we received good feedbacks from private players and farmers. The consumers were also happy buying vegetables and fruits in clean retail shops than buying it from roadside vendors. The decontrolling of the system will make this process faster and more investment will come from private players in infrastructure, setting up of supply chain and better processing facilities... The current vegetable handling methods cause about 30% wastage, which can be reduced with the help of sophisticated methods used by private players."

The farmers' organisations have extended full support to the proposal. Raghunath Patil, leader of the Sangli-based Shetkari Sanghatna, said: "With the decontrol of vegetables and fruits, the market committee network will not collapse in a day. The private players and market committees will compete for vegetable procurement, which will help the farmers get higher returns for the produce. So far, farmers never had the opportunity to decide the price."

The competition will also provide better infrastructure to farmers and money for increasing yield and improving quality, he added.

Shivlal Bhosale, chairman of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Commission Agents Association at the Pune market committee, said: "The commission agents understand farmers' need and we try to get good price for their produce in the market. It is a mystery why the state wants to break the existing network of farmers, commission agents, small vendors, and consumers. There are thousands of families that depend on each market committee in the state, which includes farmers, suppliers, transporters, labourer and vendors, who purchase vegetables from the wholesale market. Their life will be at stake if private companies snatch their source of earning."


The commission agents have already communicated their objections to the state government and have decided to intensify their protest against decontrolling of vegetables and fruits business.
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
Maharashtra lets farmers bypass APMC

"Direct marketing of these commodities will help reducing the handling of fruits and vegetables. The commodities will remain in good condition ," said Kishor Toshnival, director (marketing), government of Maharashtra . Though Maharashtra has incorporated some provisions of the Model APMC Act in its state marketing act, organised retail has been facing difficulties in sourcing fruits and vegetables from farmers despite having direct marketing licences.

There were allegations that middlemen were forcing vehicles carrying vegetables to organised retail stores to go via Vashi APMC. The compulsion of selling agriculture commodities at APMCs has been one of the important reasons for the inflation in the prices of perishable commodities.

The average difference in wholesale and retail prices of fruits and vegetables is 40-50 %. The system also causes delays in the supply chain. Vegetable growers are happy about the development. "The removal of the APMC regulation will help farmers to get a better price for their produce while consumers can get their vegetables cheaper and fresher," said Sriram Gadhve, president, All India Vegetable Growers' Association.

Maharashtra lets farmers bypass APMC - Economic Times
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

Detests Jholawalas
Ambassador
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
7,114
Likes
7,761
Mamata will have to come down to Maharashtra for that. And she cant speak Marathi or English.

She has no stake in MH.
But she has stakes in stalling reforms!!

It seems Sharad pawar and NCP have already placed their stakes in local agro-businesses. He already controls the sugar lobby and pricing(almost everything), so lets see how far this reform goes. I would be surprised if he has not already floated one of his farm-marketing companies.
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
But she has stakes in stalling reforms!!
Not in Maharashtra.

It seems Sharad pawar and NCP have already placed their stakes in local agro-businesses. He already controls the sugar lobby and pricing(almost everything), so lets see how far this reform goes. I would be surprised if he has not already floated one of his farm-marketing companies.
NCP does not need farm-marketing company, they already control entire APMC.
 

Sakal Gharelu Ustad

Detests Jholawalas
Ambassador
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
7,114
Likes
7,761
Not in Maharashtra.
That was a joke.

NCP does not need farm-marketing company, they already control entire APMC.
Controlling and making money are two different things and Pawar is good at both. If he was already making money out of it, he would have made every effort to stall this reform..You should have seen his stance on sugarcane MSP in Maharashtra, all the efforts has gone into supporting his sugar-mills(he exported the sugar at low prices...created a market deficit...and then reimported at high prices). He knows very well how to bend the rules of capitalistic game in his favor.
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
Controlling and making money are two different things and Pawar is good at both. If he was already making money out of it, he would have made every effort to stall this reform..You should have seen his stance on sugarcane MSP in Maharashtra, all the efforts has gone into supporting his sugar-mills(he exported the sugar at low prices...created a market deficit...and then reimported at high prices). He knows very well how to bend the rules of capitalistic game in his favor.
There are already efforts to stall this move. NCP pockets almost 290 APMCs in Maharashtra.

This is one of the fights between Cong & NCP, and I like it.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
This will be a good test case.
 

parijataka

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2011
Messages
4,916
Likes
3,751
Country flag
Very good move from Maharashtra, other states should also emulate. Farmers will benefit.
 

lemontree

Professional
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
815
Likes
647
This very good news. But already the APMCs are protesting. The other stake holders who may put road blocks are the 'mathadi" labour unions who will loose out on income.

But this is a good bold step, that gives the farmer the choice of choosing the APMC route or the direct route for his goods.
 

cir

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
1,996
Likes
269
thought India was a free country?

yet farmers/peasants in certain parts of India are NOT allowed to sell their produce to customers of their own choosing?

India is indeed a magic land where anything is possible. :rofl:
 

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top