Lok Sabha Question No. 3955 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-20
Subject: Marketing of Agricultural Produce at Remunerative Prices
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3955

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  MARCH, 2018

## MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE AT REMUNERATIVE PRICES

3955.  SHRI KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  farmers  in  Assam  are  facing  problems  in  marketing  of  their  produce  at remunerative prices;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  provide  better  marketing  facilities  to  the farmers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) & (b): As  informed  by  Government  of  Assam  many  farmers  transact  their  agricultural produce,  mainly  fruits  and  vegetables,  at  the  farm  gates  instead  of  market  yards  without maintaining proper grade and standard, for which they do not get remunerative prices of their produces.
- (c) & (d): The Government  of India through various schemes  such  as Agricultural Marketing  Infrastructure  (AMI)  and  Venture  Capital  Assistance  (VCA)  sub  schemes  of Integrated Scheme  for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas YojanaRemunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) as well  as  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  SAMPADA  Yojana  (Scheme  for  Agro-Marine  Processing  and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) aims at promoting infrastructure in agriculture and horticulture including that of post-harvest and marketing infrastructure in the country.

Under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), assistance is provided for  development  of  Horticulture  in  the  country  which  includes  assistance  for  development  of Post Harvest Management (PHM) and Marketing Infrastructure.

Further, in order to provide better marketing facilities to the farmers, the Government of India has released a new model 'The Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion &  Facilitation)  Act,  2017'  on  24th  April,  2017  for  its  adoption  by  States/UTs.  The  provisions therein provides for alternative marketing channels such as setting up of private markets, direct marketing, farmer-consumer markets, special commodity markets, declaring warehouses/silos/cold storages or such structures as market sub yards to facilitate farmers in marketing their produce at competitive & remunerative prices.

Further, Government of Assam has also taken various steps to provide better marketing facilities  to  the  farmers.  In  this  regard,  market  infrastructure  such  as  auction  platform,  drying yard, assortment sheds, marketing & selling complex, storage facilities including cold storage, vegetable  sale  counters,  vegetable  packaging  sheds  etc  have  been  provided  for  trading  of agricultural  produces.  In  addition,  a  World  Bank  financed  project  named  as  Assam  Agri Business  and  Rural  Transformation  (APART)  under  the  aegis  of  Government  of  Assam  has been launched to create better marketing facilities at about 75 nos. of markets in the state.

*******