BJP-ruled states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan are the best as far as following agricultural marketing norms are concerned.
According to a new index released by the NITI Aayog, Maharashtra is at the top, closely followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The Aayog’s ‘Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index’, which was released on Monday, is based on initiatives taken by the states in implementing farm sector reforms.
“Maharashtra achieves first rank in the implementation of various reforms. The state has implemented most of the marketing reforms and it offers the best environment for doing agri business among all the states and UTs,” an official statement said.
Madhya Pradesh is ranked fourth, followed by Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa and Chhattisgarh.
However, almost two-third of the states, and poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have done poorly with regard to agri-sector reforms, the index said.
Other non-performing states include West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir. Some states like Bihar, Kerala and Manipur are not included in the ranking because they either did not adopt APMC or revoked it.
“One effort was made in 2003 through the model APMC Act reform and some progress was made but not enough. This has led to a gap between industry and services on one hand and agri on the other hand,” Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya said releasing the index.
The Niti Ayog Index is aimed at helping the states to identify and address problems in the farm sector, which suffer from low growth, low-farm income and agrarian distress, officials said.
The areas identified for action by the planning body with a view to double farm income include agriculture market reforms, land lease reforms, and reforms related to forestry on private land.
The index is based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under the model APMC Act, joining eNam (National Agriculture Market) initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis.
These indicators, it said, reveal ease of doing agri business as well as opportunities for farmers to benefit from modern trade and commerce and having wider options for sale of their produce.
They also represent competitiveness, efficiency, and transparency in agri markets.
