(a) the details of the steps being taken by the Government to improve rural agricultural markets in the country, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan especially Banswara-Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan; and
(b) the various guidelines issued for ensuring remunerative price to the farmers for their produce?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a): The development and upgradation of physical infrastructure of rural haats under control of Panchayats through States/ Union Territories is undertaken through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as ongoing process for development of GrAMs.
As per the information received from Ministry of Rural Development, the State/Union Territory (UT)-wise (including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan) details of village haats works under MGNREGS as on 13th July, 2022 is at Annexure-I. Further, in the State of Rajasthan, as on 13th July, 2022, three village haats have developed in Banswara District while work is in progress in three village haats. Furthermore, three village haats have been developed in Dungarpur district while work is in progress in one village haat.
(b) Improving infrastructure and facilities in rural agricultural markets and also services thereof with efficient operation and management is critical for ensuring remunerative price to the farmers for their produce. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare(DA&FW) has circulated the Operational Guidelines to the states / UTs to avail the assistance for developing marketing and farm level processing infrastructure in the rural agricultural markets. In addition, DA&FW has also circulated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for operation and management of rural agricultural markets. Further, the Government of India has launched National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) which is a virtual platform integrating physical wholesale mandis/ markets of different States/ Union Territories (UTs) to facilitate online trading of agricultural commodities through transparent price discovery method to enable farmers to realize better remunerative prices for their produce. The DA&FW has circulated the Operational Guidelines to the states / UTs to avail the assistance under e-NAM scheme.