Question : Development of Agricultural Markets

(a) whether the Government is considering to use a mixed funding pattern involving the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and subsidised loans to develop 22,000 agricultural markets, if so, the details and likely advantages thereof;

(b) whether the Government proposes to build village ‘haats’ to serve as aggregation points and increase the number of selling points where farmers can bring their produce with minimal rules and to provide an alternative to rigged farm-to fork supply chains that drive down farmers’ profits, if so, the details thereof;

(c) the total number of farmers likely to be benefited out of these proposed agricultural markets/village haats and the time by which these agricultural markets will be functional;

(d) whether the Dalwai Committee formed to suggest measures to double farm incomes has proposed “placing agricultural marketing under the Concurrent List” (in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution); and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a): As per Union Budget Announcement, 2018-19, it has been decided to develop and upgrade existing 22,000 rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). In these GrAMs, physical infrastructure will be strengthen using Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana and other Government schemes. For this purpose, an Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore is targeted to be set up for developing and upgrading agricultural marketing infrastructure in the 22000 GrAMs including 585 Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). NABARD will provide term loan to the State Government from the proposed Agriculture Marketing Infrastructure Fund.

Contd..2/-

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(b): Yes, Madam. As per Union Budget Announcement, 2018-19, these GrAMs after development are to be linked to National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) and shall be exempted from regulations of APMCs for providing farmers facility to make direct sale to consumers and bulk purchasers. It will provide farmers an alternative to rigged farm-to-fork supply chains that drive down farmers’ profits.

(c): No survey has been undertaken by the Government to assess the total number of farmers likely to be benefited out of these proposed agricultural markets/village haats. However, the farmers using the rural haats will be benefited from development and upgradation of these rural haats.

(d) & (e): To achieve the target of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022, the Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. At present, ten volumes prepared by the Committee have been uploaded on the website of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare for seeking public opinion. The Committee has not submitted its final report to the Government. Hence, the reaction of the Government does not arise.

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