The Gujarat government has now scrapped the monopoly of state-run Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees or APMC. Thus, allowing private participation in the market for purchase of crops & livestock such as cows, bulls and horses. The good news is that the farmers will now be allowed to sell to any APMC and not be bound to a single one, said a government notification.
Adding to it, traders will now be able to directly buy from the farmers & without paying any marketing fee to the APMCs for that. The state government took the ordinance route to amend the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1963 as the state legislature isn’t in session. The new Act is known as ‘Gujarat Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 1963’.
Gujarat has joined other BJP ruled states of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh in attempting to reform their agricultural markets for helping farmers get better prices for their produce. The states have acted on the advice of the central government.
The existing trader licences which were granted by the market committees shall be converted into state-wide single trader licence. It means licence procured from one APMC can be used to sell produce at any other APMC.
The state government has sought to more liberalise the farm markets and said not less than 30% of the annual tonnage or annual value at the yard may arrive from not less than two other states. An MNI’s market committee will comprise a chairperson, a vice chairperson with 10 agriculturalists.
