Rajasthan amends APMC Act to start private e market

JAIPUR: Rajasthan has amended its Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act to allow private sub e market to operate in all the 125 mandis of the state. Rajasthan Agriculture Marketing Board director G P Shukla told ET that the board has given trading licenses to National Spot Exchange and NCDEX SPOT for online trading in the state for 5 years.

“These two companies will have to set up trading terminals and warehouses for online trading. They will have to provide real time price and trade related information through its terminal and website. The procurement and disposal of agricultural produce will be through online trading and the clients and producers across the country can participate,” he said.

According to the provision in the modified Act, farmers will have to give physical delivery at the warehouse designated by private sub e market where grading and quality certification would be done before issuing warehouse receipt to the farmers.

“Farmers would have freedom to sell their produce as per their convenience. But the company will have to ensure that the payment reaches the farmer on the same day. The deliveries of the sold produce will be made only after the full payment. The price quoted by the buyer will be net payable to the farmer. The market fee, brokerage and other charges would be borne by the purchaser,” he said.

While the government claims that the concept of e market will bring more transparency and healthy competition between mandis, traders feel that these private markets will damage the trading system in the state. “When government mandis are working well, what’s the purpose of introducing e markets? We have seen the fate of e-chaupals. If the state government doesn’t review its order, we will stage agitation to safeguard the interest of traders,” said Rajasthan Food Traders Association general secretary Babu Lal Gupta.