‘One India Agricultural Market’ can Ensure Better Market Access for Farmers Across the Country

To ensure better market access for farmers across the country, we suggest creation of One India Agriculture Market. Faster uptake of the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (APLM) Act 2017 is needed at state level as it recommends progressive provisions such as single levy of market fee, single licences for traders and de-listing perishables from the ambit of the APMCs.

Allowing better price realization for farmers is another key objective for the growth of the agriculture sector. This can be helped through National Agriculture Market or e-NAM as it aids enhanced competition in terms of increased biddings.

To help e-NAM perform to its full potential, the government's push is needed to create assaying, sorting and grading infrastructure at the mandis. This will help reduce variance in quality of produce from mandi to mandi, and encourage retailers and processors to procure through e-NAM.

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Besides this, we urge the government to ensure wider adoption of Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (e-NWRs) to help further strengthen the market. These steps will enable better market access and remuneration for farmers across India, thereby contributing to the Prime Minister's vision of doubling farmer income by 2022. (IANS)