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<ul><li>Citing the example of other industries where there are no restrictions on how producers sell their products, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that farmers should have the choice to sell their produce at attractive prices. </li><li>To this end, Sitharaman said that the government will formulate a central law that will provide barrier-free inter-state trade, along with a framework for online trading of agricultural produce. </li><li>However, for this to pass muster, the government will have to garner support from the opposition parties and farmer bodies, who think APMCs are needed to ensure farmers get a good price for their produce. </li></ul>The Modi government is using COVID-19 crisis to push through the <keyword id="6366428" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="APMC">APMC</keyword> reforms it has been talking about for a long time. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the announcement in the third tranche of the Covid-19 stimulus package today, May 15. Making the announcement, Sitharaman said that this move will give the choice to sell their produce at attractive prices, instead of being tied down to their local APMCs (Agriculture Produce Market Committee). “When you create competition for farmers’ produce, the price improves. There are more buyers, more choices. Farmers will get the benefits of that. Whether you have one buyer or ten buyers for a service makes a difference,” said Ashok Gulati, former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75756781" title="These are the top takeaways from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's third installment from Modi's ₹20 lakh crore stimulus" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> APMC reforms might hit a roadblock in non-BJP ruled states Modi has been batting for APMC reforms for a long time now. “It is imperative to swiftly undertake market reforms of our decades old and restricted agriculture produce and marketing committee (APMC) architecture,” PM Modi <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/M6HMO4jTZrn1iwwbypaEbL/Narendra-Modi-calls-for-swift-APMC-reforms-to-benefit-farmer.html">said</a> in a letter to Chief Ministers in 2018. However, these reforms might hit a roadblock in non-BJP ruled states. “The APMCs have existed since 1963 and there is a good reason they have been around for such a long time. Reform is welcome but it cannot endanger an existing structure. Our party will oppose this proposal if and when it comes before the legislature," a NCP leader was quoted as saying by <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/reRgHJ4NW4Sl4EJMXRyzHJ/APMC-reforms-in-Maharashtra-hit-a-roadblock.html">Livemint</a>. Those who favour the existing APMC structure <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/farmers-oppose-proposed-amendment-to-apmc-act/articleshow/75744758.cms">argue</a> that diluting APMC reforms will give power to multinational companies and corporates. They are also concerned about minimum support price guarantee, without price regulation in place. So far, only BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have passed APMC reforms. The Karnataka government issued an ordinance, but it was <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-governor-returns-apmc-reforms-ordinance/articleshow/75729589.cms">returned</a> by the state governor earlier today. Sitharaman says the changes will empower farmers Making the announcement, Sitharaman said that farmers should have the freedom of choice to sell their agricultural produce at attractive prices. Further, she said that no other industry restricts producers from selling their product to whomever they want, and at their desired prices. To solve this problem, Sitharaman said that the central government is working on a law. This will remove barriers to inter-state trade and allow farmers to sell their produce to the highest bidder, which should result in increasing their incomes. Apart from this, she also said that a framework for online trading of agricultural produce will also be worked upon. It is likely that this framework will be on the lines of e-NAM, which is a national agriculture market with an online trading platform for farmers. What’s wrong with APMCs? APMCs were set up with the intention to increase farmers’ incomes by making it easier to sell their produce without having to deal with commission agents. However, the government criminalised setting up of competing markets in the same area, essentially creating a monopoly in the form of APMCs. This led to traders forming cartels to artificially lower prices of the agriculture produce they buy from farmers. A 2012 <a href="https://www.cci.gov.in/sites/default/files/AO.pdf">report</a> by the Competition Commission of India cites the example of a visit to Ahmednagar APMC which revealed collusion among traders. These traders then sell the produce at higher prices to end consumers. While APMCs were formed to benefit farmers, it’s the traders who end up milking both farmers as well as consumers. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/essential-commodities-act-to-deregulate-price-of-potatoes-onions-and-pulses/articleshow/75758676.cms">India proposes to deregulate prices of onions, potatoes, pulses and other essential food — prices won’t be capped and one can store as much as needed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/policy/news/what-is-essential-commodities-act-that-nirmala-sitharaman-wants-to-amend/articleshow/75759156.cms">What is the Essential Commodities Act – the 65-year old act that FM Nirmala Sitharaman said will now be amended</a>

Modi is using the COVID-19 crisis to push through APMC reforms he has wanted for long⁠— but states may oppose

The Centre intends to amend the <keyword id="95281" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Essential-Commodities-Act">Essential Commodities Act</keyword> and Prevention of <keyword id="6735185" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Black-Marketing">Black Marketing</keyword> and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act to curb hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities. 
 “The Essential Commodities Act will be made more stringent by making offences under the Act non-bailable. We have been waiting for the response of the State governments to the proposal since their consent is required to amend the Act,” Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution <keyword id="973" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas-Paswan">Ram Vilas Paswan</keyword> said. 
 
Paswan also said that his ministry has asked the state governments to give their views on the proposed amendments to the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) Act. Perishable commodities like fruits and vegetables will not come under the ambit of the APMC Act. The amendment will enable farmers to sell their product directly to retailers or consumers, without any involvement of middlemen. 
 
The minister also emphasised on the need to set up scientific storehouses, particularly for items like onion and potatoes, to control food inflation. 
 Paswan further said that only two states – Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – have fully implemented the National <keyword id="73138" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Food-Security-Act">Food Security Act</keyword>.

Centre Mulling To Amend Laws To Check
Hoarding, Black Marketing

Nashik, <keyword id="519104" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="onion-traders" source="Orion">Onion traders</keyword> have said that they suspended auctions in all agriculture produce market committees in Nashik district of Maharashtra and their protest will continue indefinitely, a development raising the fear of shortage of the kitchen staple in retail markets and hike in prices. An office-bearer of the Nashik District <keyword id="50894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="onion" source="Orion">Onion</keyword> Traders Association (NDOTA) said on Wednesday they were protesting against the Union government's recent move to increase <keyword id="139959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="export-duty" source="Orion">export duty</keyword> on onions up to 40 per cent, which will remain in force till December 31. Taking serious cognisance, the District Sub-registrar, Co-operative Societies, on Wednesday night issued an order directing all APMCs to suspend or cancel the licences of the striking traders and submit the Action Taken Report on September 21. "In protest against the export duty hike decision, we have decided to shut the auction of onions in all APMCs in the district indefinitely. This (export duty hike) decision of the Centre will not only make export of onions difficult but it will also affect the onions in transit, causing huge loss to farmers," the office-bearer said. Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra marketing minister Abdul Sattar said that observing a bandh (shutting auctions of onions) was not right. "Secretaries in the departments of cooperation and marketing will discuss the action to be taken as per rules and Nashik district collector will take the necessary action," he said on the sidelines of an event. Notably, auctions of onions remained closed at most of the APMCs in Nashik district, including at Lasalgaon, the largest wholesale onion market in India, on August 20. "We had given time till September 19 to the government to find a solution to our demands. But as our demands are not agreed to yet, we have decided to shut the auction of onions indefinitely," the office-bearer said. The other demands raised by traders include the cancellation of export duty on onions, a 50 per cent reduction in market fees, participation by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) in auctions and a 50 per cent subsidy in transport of onions. Accordingly, onion auctions did not take place in all APMCs in Nashik district on Wednesday including in the Lasalgaon APMC. No onions arrived at APMCs, sources said. The government order mentions that Khandu Deore, president of Nashik District Onion Traders Association, had written a letter on September 13 to minister Sattar mentioning four demands and warning of not participating in onion auctions from September 19. Accordingly, the minister has organized a meeting of officials of the Marketing department on September 26. The minister also requested the traders to defer the agitation. Despite that the traders and brokers resorted to strike which has caused many problems for farmers in the sale of various agri produce, the order said. "Even in the meeting held by the government on Wednesday (Sep 20), the traders and brokers remained adamant on their stand. As a result, the order of immediate legal action has been issued," it said. Accordingly, as per the Maharashtra Agriculture Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 1963, all the APMCs should make optional arrangements and take necessary measures to continue the sale and purchase deals of agri produce. APMCs have the right to suspend or cancel the licenses of such traders. As per the provision, the APMCs should immediately suspend or cancel the licenses of such traders. In addition, a necessary process should be implemented to issue licenses to new buyers who want to purchase goods at the APMCs, the order said. If an APMC fails to follow the order, action will be taken against the board of directors and the secretary, the order added.

Onion traders in Nashik district go on indefinite strike over export duty; govt orders strict action

New Delhi, Dec 12 () A parliamentary panel on Thursday rapped the government for slow pace of modernisation of 22,000 village haats across the country and asked it to set a deadline for revamping rural marketplaces.
The panel also suggested the government to take steps towards making the scheme of modernising village haats 'GrAM' as a fully funded central scheme.
It also asked the government to take urgent steps for setting up of a committee of state agriculture ministers for early adoption of Model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Market Committee (APML) Act, 2017.
Placing its report in the Lok Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture headed by BJP member P C Gaddigoudar said: "The committee is astonished to know that none of revamped and modernised gramin haats has been inaugurated so far".
The committee is of the view that gramin haats have potential to change the face of marketing of agriculture produce in the country and can significantly enhance the income of farmers.
"The committee, therefore, desire the department (of agriculture) to take all the necessary steps to enhance the pace of modernisation of gramin haats across the country and set a deadline for each state," the report said.
The report was on the action taken by the government on the recommendation of the panel on the issue of agriculture marketing and gramin haats.
The panel had recommended the government to finalise procedural formalities for early implementation of GrAM scheme, enhance number of gramin haats being targeted for modernisation under the scheme and ensure presence of one gramin haat in each panchayat in the country, besides exempting such haats from state APMC regulations.
Stating that the governments' replies were not satisfying, the committee said the Union Agriculture Ministry has informed that it is undertaking questionnaire-based survey of these haats, and so far survey of more than 11,000 rural haats have already been completed. The survey results has been shared with the Rural Development Ministry for development of basic infrastructure through MNREGA scheme by states.
Further, the ministry informed that it has circulated guidelines to all states and union territories to facilitate and promote better management in GrAMs and requested states to exempt the GrAMs from state APMC regulations, the committee said in the report.
The ministry has also informed that the physical infrastructure is being strengthened through MNREGA scheme and the government has also approved an Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) with a corpus of Rs 2,000 crore with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for developing and upgrading agriculture marketing infrastructure in 10,000 gramin haats and 585 APMC markets, it added.
With regard to funding for gramin haat modernisation, the committee said the availability of central government funds is necessary for expeditious completion of works under the GrAM scheme as "indecisiveness" of state governments regarding financing of works for such haats will delay the ambitious project.
"The committee, therefore, once again reiterate to make 'GrAMs scheme' as the fully funded central scheme," the report said.
In the 2018-19 Budget, the government had announced development and upgradation of existing 22,000 village haats to GrAMs.
With regard to the model APLM Act, the committee said it is anguished to note that despite specific recommendation, the government has not taken any step for constitution of a committee of state agriculture ministers in order to arrive at a consensus and chalk out legal framework for marketing of agriculture produce in the country.
"Unless urgent steps are not taken to reform platform for agriculture marketing and specifically APMC, farmers of our country will not be able to get remunerative pricing for their produce," the committee said and urged the government to take initiative in this regard without any further delay.
The government has informed that so far Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have adopted the law while Punjab has done it partially. And other states are at varied stages in the process of adoption, it added. LUX BAL

Par panel raps govt for slow pace of 22,000 village haats modernisation

Mumbai, Apr 15 () Amid the Covid-19 induced lockdown when farmers are struggling to sell their produce and get reasonable prices for them, online sale and trading of agricultural goods across the country can come across a possible solution, says a report. According to a report by credit rating agency Acuite Ratings and Research, the commencement of the rabi harvest season (winter crop) amidst the current lockdown presents a good opportunity for online sale and trading of agricultural goods across the country. While the Central and the state governments have a mechanism of minimum support price (MSP), farmers often are forced to sell their produce in the open market at a lower rate than MSP, given the procurement constraints of government agencies, the report said. It further noted that consumer prices of such commodities are uneven across the country with significant inter-regional disparities in availability. As per the report, a divergent food inflation landscape is a reflection of regional demand-supply imbalances and highlights the need for a pan India agricultural trading market in India. A comparison of the food inflation print among India's 23 states reveals that the February FY20 food CPI ranged between 3.46 per cent (Delhi) and 8.94 per cent (Telangana), this is despite the 7.3 per cent increase in food subsidy allocation to Rs 1.08 lakh crore for FY20, it noted. Further, the report said the primary factor behind supply and price distortions for farm produce in India is due the inherent inefficiency in Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) structure for marketing of agricultural goods in our country. "Clearly, the APMC led market system has made India's agriculture trade highly region centric and discouraged the development of a national agricultural auction platform. In our opinion, this can be addressed by taking advantage of the electronic national agriculture market or eNAM, one of the digital initiatives of the government," Acuite Ratings and Research Chief Analytical Officer Suman Chowdhury said. This can bring significant efficiencies in the farm marketing mechanism, act as an effective tool for fighting inflation or price distortions and also reduce the procurement burden on the exchequer, he added. According to estimates, the share of eNAM in India's total food grain production (including oil seeds) is only 8.6 per cent on average since inception in April 2016. However, it is encouraging to note that both the Central and the state governments are currently urging farmers and traders to utilise eNAM and avoid physical presence at the auction site, the report added. SM DRRDRR

Covid-19 crisis opportunity for agri-marketing reforms: Report

<ul><li>Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has hit pause on filing <keyword id="9235757" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fresh-insolvency-cases">fresh insolvency cases</keyword> for the next one year.</li><li>The minimum threshold for initiating proceedings has also been increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹1 crore.</li><li> Any debt that arose due to the impact of coronavirus won’t be categorised at ‘default’ under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).</li></ul>"Any indebted situation that comes up because of coronavirus will not be considered as ‘default’ and no fresh insolvency proceedings will be initiated for the next one year," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while unveiling the fifth and final tranche of reforms to fight the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. This means for the defaults that happen in the next few months cannot be called non-performing assets (NPA), simply put a bad loan. “At the moment, I think, the MCA has extended it to six months, we intend to increase it by another six months because even once the lockdown lifts, immediately after, you’re not sure how much of business will be restored,” Sitharaman explained. A special insolvency framework will be notified under Section 240 A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Act. These measures will be enforced via ordinance and then later taken to Parliament for approval. The total NPA for India’s banking industry is at ₹7.27 lakh crore, the government said on February 2020. There was a fear of a massive spike in bad loans due to the economic crash caused by the pandemic and the lockdown to contain it. ICICI Securities had expected a 50% jump in gross NPA as nearly ₹2 in every five rupees lent by the banking sector went to “high and medium risk segments”. “We expect credit cost to rise 2.3% and earnings to decline 18%,” the report dated May 13 concluded, ahead of the announcements made by Sitharaman. The latest decisions will improve the prospects for both banks and non-banking financial institutions. A special insolvency framework will be notified under Section 240 A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Act. Not just big businesses, even small businesses shielded The minimum threshold to initiate proceedings has been raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹1 crore to insulate MSMEs. “This is a major step forward, and in all probability, we’ll be going through an ordinance to achieve this goal immediately. Of course, we’ll go back to it, once the parliament commences, to have it passed as an act,” she said. Nearly 10% of all loans made by State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest bank, are to MSMEs whereas in the case of Axis Bank the proportion is about 7.5%, according to a recent Edelweiss report dated May 13. The reduced risk of NPAs is likely to boost these stocks when the market opens on Monday, May 18. “However, the responsibility for businesses to use this time to stabilize and improve functioning will squarely be there with onus to put better mechanisms for internal governance as creditors would have to forbear an important right during this period of suspension of IBC for a year,” said Kumar Saurabh Singh, a partner at law firm Khaitan and Co. Further, the government decision to reduce the number of central government owned companies will also boost the market sentiment. While it is not clear if banks will be part of the notified list of strategic sectors, the Modi government’s existing stance is to merge public-sector banks and to reduce their number. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-final-stimulus-plan-to-boost-gdp-of-india/articleshow/75784571.cms">India's Finance Minister reveals the final lot of Modi's economic stimulus programme</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/ashok-gulati-interview-on-essential-commodities-act-and-apmc-changes/articleshow/75760364.cms">"I have been asking for this for 20 years," says Ashok Gulati, agriculture scientist ⁠— cheering the changes to Essential Commodities Act and APMC</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/lt-and-godrej-join-like-boeing-and-lockheed-martin-ula-after-biggest-space-reform/articleshow/75778037.cms">"Now, L&amp;T and Godrej can join hands like Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s ULA," says Gateway House scholar cheering India’s 'biggest space reform'</a>

India puts a pause on new bankruptcy cases for a year ⁠— and other changes that will cap the rise in bad loans

US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> has lauded Indian-American scientists and researchers for their efforts in developing medicines and vaccines to treat the deadly <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. <keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> said the US was closely working with India to tackle the pandemic. "We have a tremendous Indian population in the United States and many of the people that you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers," Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday. He was responding to the Indian-American community's appreciation of his fight against the coronavirus. This is the first time that a president has recognised the scientific and research talent of the Indian-American community. A large number of scientists are engaged in cutting edge research in various aspects of medical science, including at the National Institute of Health, universities, research institutes and bio-pharma startups. There are an estimated 4 million Indian-Americans in the United States, of which about 2.5 million are potential voters in the 2020 presidential elections this November. As a presidential candidate, Trump was the first nominee to hold a separate election rally for Indian-Americans in October 2016 in New Jersey. Since then he has described himself as the best friend of India and Indian-Americans at the White House. According to the co-chair of Trump Victory Indian-American Finance Committee, Al Masson, the president is not just a sensitive guardian to his 325 million fellow Americans, he is also their resolute and humanitarian commander-in-chief. "He has brought forth his true empathy and determination -- blended with just the right solutions to fight this "Made in China" coronavirus pandemic. His mission is to save American lives and revive the American economy. By doing whatever it takes," Mason said on Friday. "Trump is unbeatable. His critics and enemies should leave him alone. They should let him focus on fighting for all Americans against the invisible coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding the economy. He is a master at whatever he builds and he believes in the power of prayer," said Mason. Senior Advisor to Donald J Trump for President, Inc. and National Chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee Kimberly Guilfoyle, in a recent op-ed in The Daily Caller, said Trump has the American people on his side. "At this point, Team Trump has raised over USD 742 million with over USD 255 million cash on hand. Since the transition to a virtual national campaign, Trump Victory, in coordination with the Republican National Convention, has made over 20 million voter contacts and added more than 300,000 new volunteers, bringing the total to 1 million volunteers trained and activated," Guilfoyle wrote. The amount raised by Indian-Americans for Trump's campaign is not available as of now. The coronavirus, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city has claimed over 3,00,000 lives with 4.5 million confirmed infections across the world so far. The US alone accounts for over 87,000 COVID-19 deaths. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-women-dont-like-being-gig-workers/articleshow/75757460.cms">Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $450 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/carry-minati-youtube-vs-tiktok-video-removed-for-violating-terms-of-service/articleshow/75749665.cms">Carry Minati's 'YouTube vs TikTok' video removed for violating terms of service — fans claim injustice</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/ashok-gulati-interview-on-essential-commodities-act-and-apmc-changes/articleshow/75760364.cms">"I have been asking for this for 20 years," says Ashok Gulati, agriculture scientist ⁠— cheering the changes to Essential Commodities Act and APMC</a>

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Modi is using the COVID-19 crisis to push through APMC reforms he has wanted for long⁠— but states may oppose

Rounak Jain

Centre Mulling To Amend Laws To Check Hoarding, Black Marketing

BI India Bureau

Onion traders in Nashik district go on indefinite strike over export duty; govt orders strict action

PTI

Par panel raps govt for slow pace of 22,000 village haats modernisation

PTI

Covid-19 crisis opportunity for agri-marketing reforms: Report

PTI

India puts a pause on new bankruptcy cases for a year ⁠— and other changes that will cap the rise in bad loans

Prabhjote Gill

Trump lauds Indian-American scientists for their efforts in developing a coronavirus vaccines and medicines

PTI

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