APMC Act comes into force in Uttarakhand

Dehra Dun, Apr19 (PTI) The APMC bill, which seeks to provide effective regulation in marketing of agricultural produce as well as establishment of proper marketing system in Uttarakhand, today came into force. After getting approval from Governor Margaret Alva, the state government also issued a notification following which the new Agriculture Act came into force, officials said. Uttarakhand assembly passed the Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing (development and regulation) Bill, 2011 during its budget session last month. The new measure seeks to regulate the sale and purchase of agriculture produces and envisages establishment of marketing development fund in the hill state. The APMC Act contains provisions for setting up private markets, enabling contract farming and constitution of regulatory authority to ensure a level playing field between the government controlled and private mandis. Private mandis would mean cutting out extra cess such as the mandi cess and other charges, reducing final costs for consumers and buyers and allowing better gains for farmers. There will be some safeguards in the contract farming process -- it will not be performed unless the buyer has registered himself in that market committee. The new act would pave the way for the legitimate establishment of private mandis. The bulk purchase licences will also allow the corporate houses to buy directly from farmers in the run-up to the setting up of private mandis in the state.