While wholesale markets are supposed to grade commodities right at the market gates, not a single market committee in the state has such a facility.
Soon, wholesale markets in the state will have to set up laboratories to assay, or grade, agricultural goods, before kharif crops begin arriving in October. The director of marketing is all set to issue orders under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Cooperation Act, making it mandatory for market committees to set up such laboratories.
The Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act ,1963, states that wholesale markets should have proper facilities to grade agricultural goods that arrive for trade. Assaying laboratories are used to grade commodities, to determine which ones match up to the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms. While wholesale markets are supposed to grade commodities right at the market gates, not a single market committee in the state has such a facility.
Now, the state government will direct market committees to set up assaying laboratories, which will cost them about Rs 10-15 lakh. Once the commodities are graded at the gate, the farmers will be issued slips certifying the same. These slips can be used by traders to determine prices.
Director of marketing, Dr Anand Jogdand, said necessary orders will be issued within the next few days and the laboratories should be functional by October 1. Nearly 150 markets that deal with cereals and pulses, mainly in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, will have to set up such facilities.
The market committees are also supposed to ensure that commodities, which have a government declared Minimum Support Price (MSP), are not traded below the MSP. But, following the state cabinet’s decision to amend the APMC Act to make trade below MSP trade a criminal offence, auctions have been suspended in majority of markets in the state.
Markets in Latur, Pune, Jalna and Amravati have remained closed and traders have stayed away from the auction process to protest the decision, which makes below MSP trade punishable with a jail term of one year and fine of Rs 50,000.
At certain places like Parbhani, the market committee has started issuing showcause notices to suspend the licences of traders who refuse to trade. The apex body of the market committees,Maharashtra Rajya Bazar Samiti Sahakari Sangh, has also urged traders to resume the auction. The committee has assured that in the absence of a functional government resolution, the amendment will not come into action.
The Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act ,1963, states that wholesale markets should have proper facilities to grade agricultural goods that arrive for trade. Assaying laboratories are used to grade commodities, to determine which ones match up to the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms. While wholesale markets are supposed to grade commodities right at the market gates, not a single market committee in the state has such a facility.
Now, the state government will direct market committees to set up assaying laboratories, which will cost them about Rs 10-15 lakh. Once the commodities are graded at the gate, the farmers will be issued slips certifying the same. These slips can be used by traders to determine prices.
Director of marketing, Dr Anand Jogdand, said necessary orders will be issued within the next few days and the laboratories should be functional by October 1. Nearly 150 markets that deal with cereals and pulses, mainly in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, will have to set up such facilities.
The market committees are also supposed to ensure that commodities, which have a government declared Minimum Support Price (MSP), are not traded below the MSP. But, following the state cabinet’s decision to amend the APMC Act to make trade below MSP trade a criminal offence, auctions have been suspended in majority of markets in the state.
Markets in Latur, Pune, Jalna and Amravati have remained closed and traders have stayed away from the auction process to protest the decision, which makes below MSP trade punishable with a jail term of one year and fine of Rs 50,000.
At certain places like Parbhani, the market committee has started issuing showcause notices to suspend the licences of traders who refuse to trade. The apex body of the market committees,Maharashtra Rajya Bazar Samiti Sahakari Sangh, has also urged traders to resume the auction. The committee has assured that in the absence of a functional government resolution, the amendment will not come into action.