(a) whether the Government proposes to encourage contract farming in the
country in consultation with the State Governments;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the progress, if any, made in this regard?
(a) whether the Government proposes to encourage contract farming in the
country in consultation with the State Governments;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the progress, if any, made in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI TARIQ ANWAR)
(a): Yes, Madam.
(b) & (c): In order to regulate the working of contract farming, the Ministry of
Agriculture in consultation with the States has framed Model State Agricultural
Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2003 and Rules, 2007 for
their adoption. The Model Act, Inter-alia, provides for the registration of
contract farming sponsors, recording of contract farming agreements and
dispute settlement mechanism. It also provides for protection of title or rights of
the farmers over the land under such contracts to protect the interest of
farmers.
Since, under item 28 of Seventh Schedule of Constitution on Markets and
Fairs, agriculture marketing is a State subject, therefore, Ministry of Agriculture
has been actively pursuing the States and Union Territories to amend their State
APMC Acts including contract farming. The State Governments of Andhra
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland,
Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttarakhand
and Haryana have made legal provision for practice of contract farming under
their respective State Laws.