Karnataka - Gulbarga   

State decides to amend APMC Act

Special Correspondent

Interests of farmers will be protected, says Minister for Agriculture Marketing

GULBARGA: The State Government has decided to introduce the controversial amendment to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act with minor changes to the draft circulated among the States by the Union Government.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Sunday, Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, who is also the district in charge, said that a detailed note on the proposed changes had been submitted to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. It would be discussed by the Cabinet before the amendment Bill was introduced in the Assembly.

Mr. Darshanapur said the changes had been made based on the recommendations of an official committee that toured Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and some other States which had already amended the Act.

Without disclosing the changes that had been proposed, Mr. Darshanapur said that the interests of the farmers would be fully protected and that they would not be allowed to be exploited.

The Union Government has been urging the States to amend the Act. The Centre, which is under pressure from developed countries which have high stakes in the agricultural sector, wanted the protective clauses preventing corporates from entering the farm sector to go. The final nod of State governments is necessary as agriculture is a State subject.

The proposed amendment has been opposed by Left parties and trade and farmers organisations on the ground that removal of the protective clauses in the APMC Act would lead to exploitation of farmers by MNCs who would change the agriculture pattern in the country to suit their market requirements.

The argument of those opposing the amendment is that it would affect retailers and farmers and the latter would be at the mercy of corporates in choosing the types of crops that should be grown. The Left parties and farmers' organisations have said that the change in the agriculture pattern would also end the self-sufficiency in foodgrains and the country would be forced to depend on imports.

Mr. Darshanapur, who sought to allay fears on protecting farmers' interests after the changes to the Act, said that the farmers need not worry as their interests would not be sacrificed by the Government. To a question, he said the amendment Bill would in all likelihood be introduced in the next session. The Minister said another team that also included farmers' representatives had been sent to five States where the Act had been amended to study its implications and submit its findings to the Government.

Mr. Darshanapur said a two-day symposium on agriculture marketing would be held in Bangalore shortly. It would be inaugurated by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. Presidents, vice-presidents and secretaries of 143 APMCs in the State would participate in the symposium.

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