Model APLM 2017 Gets Positive Response from States

New Delhi: The model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017, which was released to the states on April 24, 2017, has received a positive response regarding its adoption from all states.

This was stated by Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare while addressing the National Agriculture Marketing Summit organized by FICCI with the Agriculture the Ministry.

The Summit was organized on the theme ‘Regenerating Agriculture through Smart Marketing Solutions – To Double Farmers’ Income’.

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 post-harvest 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.

Radha Mohan took the opportunity to suggest 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.

According to Radha Mohan 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.

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.

Samir Shah, Co-Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee & MD & CEO, NCDEX, said that the launch of e-NAM 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.