(a) whether there is any proposal under the active consideration of the Government for
development of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees under Centrally sponsored Scheme
in the country particularly in Gujarat;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI HUKUMDEO NARAYAN YADAV)
(a)to(c): Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) are corporate bodies
established under the respective State Agricultural Marketing Regulation Acts. APMCs manage
the markets. The market yards are notified by the State Governments under the respective
State Agricultural Marketing Regulation Acts and are developed by State Governments,
Marketing Boards and APMCs. Most of the State Governments and Union Territories have
enacted their own legislations to provide for regulation of APMCs. Regulated markets help in
mitigating the markets handicap of producers/sellers. The State Governments/Marketing
Boards provide facilities to the farmers/traders in order to create a better trade environment, etc.
in the APMCs.
At present, the Department is implementing a Scheme of Macro Management, which
has been devised by integrating 27 on-going Centrally Sponsored schemes and is in operation
since November, 2000. The scheme provides flexibility to the States to include intervention
according to their agricultural developmental priorities. Most of the States have included
proposal for the development of agricultural markets in their Work Plans under the Scheme of
Macro-Management. The State can include any component/ scheme as a new initiative for
development of agricultural activities. The assistance under the scheme is released in lump-
sum and the States have the flexibility of re-allocation of this amount under various
developmental programmes. Thus, the programme of development of APMCs can be taken up
by the State Governments under the above scheme. The Work Plan proposal (2002-2003)
submitted by the State Government of Gujarat under the Macro-Management includes proposal
for development of Haat Bazar & Direct Market system on the lines of Rythu Bazar / Apni Mandi
at a cost of Rs.436.00 lakhs ( Central share of Rs.392.00 lakhs). First instalment i.e. 50% of the
total Central share has been released to the State Government of Gujarat.