हिंदी

Agricultural Market System

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Estimated time: 16 minutes
CBSE: Class 12

Meaning

Agricultural marketing is a process that involves assembling, storing, processing, transporting, packaging, grading, and distributing agricultural commodities from farms to consumers across the country.

CBSE: Class 12

Problems Faced by Farmers

  • Faulty weighing of produce.
  • Manipulation of accounts by traders.
  • Lack of price information available to farmers.
  • Poor storage facilities leading to distress sales.
  • More than 10% of farm goods wasted due to lack of storage.
CBSE: Class 12

Government Interventions

1. Regulation of Markets

  • Markets are regulated to create orderly and transparent marketing conditions.
  • About 27,000 rural periodic markets still need to be developed as regulated markets.

2. Infrastructure Development

  • Government provides: roads, railways, warehouses, godowns, cold storages, and processing units.
  • Current infrastructure is inadequate for growing demand.

3. Cooperative Marketing

  • Farmers form cooperatives to get fair prices.
  • Example: Milk cooperatives in Gujarat and other regions.
  • Recent setbacks due to issues in coverage, linkage, and financial management.

4. Policy Instruments

  • Minimum Support Prices (MSP) – to protect farmers' incomes.
  • Buffer stocks of wheat and rice maintained by FCI (Food Corporation of India).
  • Public Distribution System (PDS) – provides subsidised foodgrains and sugar to the poor.
CBSE: Class 12

Limitation Despite Interventions

Private trade by moneylenders, rural elites, big merchants, and rich farmers still predominates in agricultural markets.

CBSE: Class 12

Alternate Marketing Channels

Farmers sell directly to consumers to increase incomes:

Market Name State(s)
Apni Mandi Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
Hadaspar Mandi Pune (Maharashtra)
Rythu Bazars Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Uzhavar Sandies Tamil Nadu
CBSE: Class 12

Contract Farming / Alliances

  • Farmers enter into contracts with national and multinational fast-food chains.
  • Farmers receive: inputs + assured procurement at pre-decided prices.
  • Benefits: reduces price risk and expands markets for farmers.
CBSE: Class 12

Agricultural Reform Laws (2020)

  • In 2020, the Indian Parliament passed three laws to reform the agricultural marketing system.
  • Farmers are divided on these reforms.
  • The Acts remain under debate.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Agricultural Market System

  • Agricultural marketing includes storage, processing, transport, grading, and sale of farm produce.
  • Major problems are poor storage, lack of price information, faulty weighing, and distress sales.
  • The government supports farmers through regulated markets, MSP, buffer stocks, PDS, and infrastructure.
  • Private traders still dominate agricultural marketing in many areas.
  • Direct marketing (e.g., Apni Mandi, Rythu Bazars, Uzhavar Sandies) helps farmers get better prices.
  • Contract farming provides farmers with inputs and assured markets.
  • Agricultural reform laws (2020) introduced major changes but remain controversial.
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