Lok Sabha Question No. 5849 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Development of Agricultural Markets
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: CH. MALLA REDDY, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, NAGARAJAN P.

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5849

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD  APRIL, 2018

## DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL MARKETS

5849.      SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY: DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN: SHRI P. NAGARAJAN:

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

- (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?

## 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): 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.

(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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