Centre recommends States to suspend Farm Law to boost sale amid lockdown

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion for agriculture and allied sector, including modification of Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act to facilitate sale of farm produce, the Ministry of Agriculture has asked the States to suspend certain provisions of their respective APMC Laws to allow farmers to sell their harvest from multiple locations and to any buyer.  Any relaxation in the provisions of the Act will have to be done through state governments. The APMC Act empowers state governments to specify market areas - operated and regulated by market committees - where farmers bring their produce for sale.

Top sources said that the move is aimed at encouraging social distancing and also ending farmer distress during the ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus disease, with disrupted supply chains forcing many producers to destroy their harvests.

During an interaction with chief ministers of all States and Union Territories, PM Modi has suggested that direct marketing for farm produce can be incentivised to prevent crowding in mandis, for which model APMC laws should be reformed swiftly. Such steps will help farmers sell products at their doorstep. He also suggested that direct marketing for farm produce can be incentivised to prevent crowding in mandis, for which model APMC laws should be reformed swiftly. Such steps will help farmers sell products at their doorstep.

The APMC Act regulates buying and selling of farm produce in about 5000 mandis or markets across the country. Any relaxation in the provisions of the Act will have to be done through state governments. The APMC Act empowers state governments to specify market areas - operated and regulated by market committees - where farmers bring their produce for sale.

Farmers in many states have been forced to dump perishable harvest due to lack of buyers, which has also depressed farm gate prices. Most farmers in northern and central India are in the middle of harvesting the biggest winter staple, wheat. The government has kept over 300,000 trucks ready to ferry harvests under the aegis of the national agriculture markets, an online trading platform that has been updated to meet the needs of farmers during the lockdown.

Officials of agriculture ministry also informed that Railways introduced 67 routes for running 236 Parcel Specials(out of which 171 are time table parcel trains) to supply essential commodities including perishable horticultural produce, agricultural inputs, milk and dairy products at fast speed which will facilitate farmers/FPOs/traders and companies for continuity of supply chain across the country.

According to the ministry, the Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) through Virtual Private Network (VPN) have issued 33 Nos. of Import permits for import of more than 1.25 lakh metric tons of various chemicals. 189 certificates for exports have also been issued to facilitate exports of pesticides. 1263 certificates of registration have been issued in various categories to facilitate indigenous manufacturing of pesticides.

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