Maharashtra has been ranked first state in the country on reforms in agricultural marketing, followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan, by the NITI Aayog. Its first-ever index on reforms in the farm sector was issued on 31 october 2016. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu performed poorly, not even reaching the halfway mark of 50. Termed the Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly
Reforms Index, it ranks states on three major parameters — reforms in agricultural marketing, land lease and forestry on private land. The minimum score of zero implies no reforms at all; a score of 100 would mean the opposite and the friendliest to farmers.
Maharashtra got 81.7 and Gujarat was second at 71.5, Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir got the lowest three grades, of 4.8, 7.3 and 7.4, respectively.
Three states and four Union Territories — including Bihar and Kerala — did not figure in the list, as these do not have any Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act.
Madhya Pradesh was ranked fourth, followed by Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa and Chhattisgarh.
The index is aimed at helping states identify and address problems in the farm sector, which suffers from low growth, low incomes and agrarian distress.
The Centre has since decided to bring another model APMC Act to address all the concerns of states,including the subject of contract, and to facilitate the setting up of private mandis.
It has also launched the electronic agriculture market (e-NaM) portal but success has been slow in the absence of big mandi reforms.
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