Kadapa: The state government has given a shot-in-the-arm to the farmers who sell their vegetables and fruits through the Agriculture Market Committees (AMC).
Following government orders, the AMC shall not levy any market fees on sale or purchase of fruits and vegetables.
Moreover, the transactions will be conducted by the AMC without the intervention of commission agents.
If farmers trade through eNAM, the online trading platform that facilitates the trading of agricultural commodities for farmers and traders, one has to first register with the AMC. If voluntary trade is conducted within the market yard, user charges shall be paid by the buyer to the AMC at the rate not exceeding 1 per cent of the purchase value. This is prescribed in the bye-laws of the AMC and the amount collected is towards the building and maintenance of infrastructure in the market yard and towards services rendered by the AMC in conducting the transaction.
In the markets other than e-NAM, buyers can purchase the produce through marketing without the intervention of commission agents and the sale amount is to be paid to the seller immediately after sale, even before the lifting of the produce from the market yard.
This initiative is very helpful and useful to the farmers who can now sell their produce without unnecessary commissions and fees with the market yard's support.
Abolition of commission agents system is the latest addition in the agriculture market committees. Earlier, the commission agents occupied most of the shops in the market yard. The government had given then permission to collect 4 percent of commission on every purchase or sale.
The AMC was paying the commissions to them from the farmer's product amount. The commission agents were collecting 8 to 10 percent in some areas.
When the new government was formed, the existing system was carefully re-examined and the system was abolished. Fresh orders were issued accordingly. The shops which were given to the commission agents were vacated by the AMC officials. From now, the AMC officials will cooperate with the farmers to help them sell their produce on their own. The AMC will collect only 1 per cent of the sale amount as user charges.
So far, a large number of farmers were not bringing their produce to the AMCs, fearing the huge amounts they had to pay to the commission agents to sell their produce. Instead, they preferred to sell their produce directly from their farms. Those sales did not give any income to the AMC, not even the 1 percent user charges, as specified by the government order now. Besides, following government orders, AMC check-posts were also unable to impose cess on fruits and vegetables. Instead the check-posts staff check the load receipt of the vehicle through their android mobile phones provided by the AMC.
The government orders have drastically reduced the AMC's income. There is approximately a loss of Rs.106 cr. income for the AMCs in the state, when compared to last year's income.
