BHUBANESWAR: The State Government will bring a Bill in the monsoon session of the Assembly to amend the Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1956 for single-point levy of market fee and a unified single trading licence for cost-effectiveness of transactions.
Changes in the Act are necessary as the existing regulatory framework does not support free flow of agricultural produce and direct interface of farmers with other stakeholders like processors, exporters, bulk buyers and end users.
The system has allowed a large number of intermediaries who are not adding any value along the supply chain. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry has come up with a new model of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act to meet the emerging challenges in e-marketing of products in the sector.
The Centre has launched a scheme for promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF). The scheme has proposed to develop a common e-market platform at the central level to provide farmers and traders with access to opportunities for purchase and sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner.
Some basic reforms of the State Agricultural Produce Marketing Act like electronic trading as mode for price discovery, unified single licence to wholesale traders valid across the State and single point levy of market fee for agro-products are required for integration with the platform at the central level, sources in the Cooperation Department said.
Under the proposed legislation, the licence issued by any market committee of the State will remain valid throughout Odisha and multiple levies of mandi fees will be stopped.
The purpose is to create a single agri-market where one can trade agri-products with a single licence. The new law will end the monopoly of the existing agricultural produce market committees and allow more players to set up markets and create competition so that farmers can discover prices and sell their products accordingly, the sources said.
The need to unify markets both at State and national level is the requirement of time in order to provide a better price to farmers, improve supply chain, reduce wastages and create a unified national market through provision of common e-platform.
Fresh initiatives
The Agriculture Ministry has come up with a new model of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act to meet the emerging challenges in e-marketing of products in the sector. The Centre has also launched a scheme for promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).
The scheme has proposed to develop a common e-market platform at the central level to provide farmers and traders with access to opportunities for purchase and sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner.