Context:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has come up with a draft ‘National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing‘ to obtain public comments.
Aim of the Policy:
One aim of the policy is to liberalize the marketing restrictions while considering all interested parties, which include farmers and consumers. The draft policy calls for conducting trade in agricultural produce under a uniform barrier-free environment pan-India.
Key Highlights:
- Enhanced reach of the farmer-consumer market, grameen haats as Grameen Agricultural Markets, strengthening precision facilities for agri-processing and even export are some suggestions given in the draft policy.
- Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) are village-level markets in India that help farmers sell their produce locally and nationally
- Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) are upgraded versions of the 22,000 rural haats in India that were announced in the 2018-19 Union Budget.
- Beyond APMC Marketing-Hubs Additional Statutes Calls for Consolidation and Expansion of e-NAM to Public and Private Purchase Centres and Grameen Haats.
- In addition, increased private sector participation, preferably in public-private partnership mode, needs to be encouraged to fill the infrastructure gap in APMC markets.
Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in India
- APMCs are marketing boards for agriculture involving animal farming set up by the respective states.
- Functions
- protection of farmers, price regulation, infrastructure development, and malpractice containment.
- APMCs control the first sale of notified agro-commodities and wholesale selling.
- They handle market area of warehouses, silos, pack houses.
- Amenities provided by APMCs include auction halls, weigh bridges, godowns, shops, canteens, roads, lights, drinking water, police stations, and post offices.
