AMPCs on strike today against agriculture reforms

PUNE: Agricultural produce marketing committees in Maharashtra have called for a strike on Monday to protest against the state government's decision to allow farmers to sell fruits and vegetables to their preferred buyers.

Under the Maharashtra Agriculture Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, farmers can sell their produce only at the agricultural produce marketing committee ( APMC) markets.

But to break the monopoly of APMCs and introduce uniformity in agricultural marketing systems, the central government has asked all states to amend their APMC laws so as to create a unified National Agricultural Market (NAM).

The Maharashtra government's decision will help 30 APMCs from the state to become part of the NAM. The decision does not apply to grains and other agricultural produce.

"We are not opposed to the marketing reforms," said Sanjay Pan sare, director (fruits) at APMC Vasi.

"All that we want is a level playing field, which will give equal rights to traders operating at APMCs as the traders outside will get. Else, we will not be able to compete with them."

Traders at APMCs have to pay market cess and various other charges. Farmers, however, want the government to extend the decision to grains and pulses since the number of farmers growing fruits and vegetables is small and concentrated in few clusters.