Bengal, TN might soon join national e-agri platform
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are expected to be the next two big states which could become part of the Centre’s electronic National Agriculture Market (eNaM).
The Centre could also direct states to end all forms of physical trading in the 400-odd wholesale markets (mandis) where eNAM has been set up.
Discussions on these and other issues concerning reforms in agricultural marketing were part of a daylong deliberation between secretaries from states and the central government in this regard, under the ambit of the NITI Aayog.
The officials' meeting will be followed by an interaction between state ministries and the Union Government next week, where a draft of a new model APMC Act might be released for them to consider adopting.
“Since our earlier review meeting on agricultural marketing reforms, in October last year, many states have shown considerable progress, while some others have assured on quickening the process,” Ashok Dalwai, additional secretary in the ministry of agriculture, told reporters.
The Centre’s nine-point list of ushering needed reforms in agricultural marketing comprises the allowing by states of private markets, facilitating direct marketing of produce, allowing setting up of farmer-consumer markets, allowing contract farming, e-trading in farm commodities, single point levy of market fees across a state, single trading licences, delinking the provision of compulsory requirement of shops and spaces in mandis, and delinking of fruit and vegetables from mandis run by Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).
The Centre is also pressing states on quicker adoption of model land lease laws, exempting all kinds of tree species grown on private land from felling and transit regulations, and adoption of new model APMC and Contract Acts.
Dalwai said since the earlier meeting, Maharashtra had allowed the setting up of 41 private mandis and Gujarat of 25. On direct marketing, Maharashtra had issued 527 licences since October, Karnataka of 37 and Rajasthan has given approval to 76 entities which allow private big processors, traders and companies to buy directly from farmers.
On contract farming, Uttarakhand has notified the rules, Haryana has given permission to seven companies and Punjab to one, comprising cultivation of a wide set of crops.