Ajit seeks change in Agriculture Products and Marketing Act
By Nisha Das | 14 Jan 2003
Mumbai:
Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh is strongly
pleading for a change in the existing age-old Agriculture
Products and Marketing Act, while seeking reduction in
the intermediaries between agri-products and marketing.
“The existing laws have immensely benefited the middleman rather than farmers for which it was actually framed, hence we should change the laws immediately,” Singh said while inaugurating a seminar on ‘Opportunities in Agri-Business,’ jointly organised by the Maharasthra government and the Maharasthra Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.
The change will bring in the free market price mechanism, he added. “Not only the farmers but even the processing units besides the consumers will be benefited.”
Advocating for contract farming and a cooperative movement in agriculture, he said the private sector should come forward and lead the nation in green revolution, including biotechnology, horticulture and organic-farming.
“The total trade of organic farming is expected to go up to Rs 3 billion over the next 10 years, which is more than 10 times of non-organic farming. However, the certification is an important issue, but the trade should overcome it,” he said.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy chairman Mahesh Vyas said the economic reforms, started from 1990, are going against agriculture as the reforms put more emphasis on infrastructure development and cutting down agriculture subsidies. Advocating for transparency in the mandi, Vyas said corporates should be allowed into the farming sector.
