The state government has set the ball rolling for creating private market yards or mandis. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has amended the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets (General) Rules to allow special and private market yards, besides kisan mandis by private entities, in the state. A notification in this regard has been issued.

In case of special market yards, to be established within an existing mandi, the total revenue collected will have to be shared with the government agency where the yard is set up. In other private trading platforms, the owner will have to provide all infrastructure along with basic sanitation facilities. The private entities will have to be owners of the land where they set up the mandi, or take it on a lease for a minimum of 30 years.

Welcoming the move, noted agriculture economist MS Sidhu said private and special market yards would give a boost to the agrarian economy.

However, the issue has not gone down well with commission agents (arhtiyas) and a section of farmers, who see the decision as a step towards an MSP-free regime.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of BKU (Rajewal), said this was a step towards corporatisation of agriculture. “It will put us at the mercy of the big corporates, whose only aim is to maximise profits.”

Vijay Kalra, chief, Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab, said they would meet leaders on Thursday and force them to withdraw the rules.

E-weighing scales mandatory

Under the rules, electronic weighing has been made mandatory in mandis while procuring foodgrains for various government agencies. To date, the weighing of foodgrains was being done manually, which, according to several studies, was leading to an annual loss of Rs 250 crore to farmers, as it had a margin of weighing 200 grams less each time.

This news has not been edited by Apni Kheti staff but has been published by various news feeds

Source: Tribune India