5.1 Introduction the Previous Chapter Focussed on the Overall Agricul Tural
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CHAPTER 5 MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN AHMEDNAGAR DISTRICT 5.1 Introduction The previous chapter focussed on the overall agricul tural production of main crops in the Ahmednagar district. Like production, marketing too is important in overall agricultural development. It is estimated that about 50 per cent of the agricultural produce is available as marketable surplus in India.^ The percentage explains the importance of agricultural marketing. Agricultural marketing comprises all activities related to the movement of farm produce and its derivatives from the producer to the ultimate consumer and this involves the farmers, the middlemen and consumers. Most of the farmers in India are said to suffer by way of not getting the due price for their produce. There is a large disparity between the final price paid by the consumer and the price received by the farmer. This is the main problem of the marketing of agricultural produce in India. Besides this, cheating in weights and measures, willful deductions by traders were some problems of unregulated markets. The system of regulated market emerged for remov ing these disadvantages. The regulated market is one of the important aspects of agricultural marketing today. No doubt, marketing is a creative function and occupies an important place in agriculture. 122 Data regarding arrivals and value of various regulated commodities in different market committees were collected from the Government record. Whereas, data regarding minimum and maximum prices of main regulated commodities which offered at different market yards and number of function aries in these market yards were collected from all market committees of the district Records of the market committees made no indication about the extent to which the produce from outside the market area was brought and sold in their market yards. This put restrictions on this study. 5.2 Emergence of regulated markets In the marketing of agricultural produce there were various malpractices by the traders which resulted into a loss to the agriculturist. Farmers were not getting fair price for their sold produce. Even the value of the produce was not paid in time and was subjected to many charity and other deductions. It was a buyer’s market the seller had practically no control over it. Royal commission on agricul ture (1927) focuses its attention on this state of affairs and recommends to the Government the necessity of regulating the trade in agricultural commodities. Accordingly the then Government of Bombay enacted the 'Bombay Cotton Markets Act’ in 1927. Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939, brought the sale and purchase of a number of commodities under the purview of the enactment. 123 This enactment led to the establishment of market committees in the Ahmednagar district at the following Places^ : (1) Kopargaon (1949) (2) Rahuri (1950) (3) Shrirampur (1950) (4) Ahmednagar (1954) (5) Shevgaon (1954) (6) Pathardi (1955) (7) Newasa (1955) (8) Sangamner (1959) (9) Jamkhed (i960) (10) Shrigonda (1960) Figures in the brackets indicate the year of establish ment of the market committee. Before 1960, ten market com mittees (for 13 talukas) were established in the district. During the decade 1981-90, following three market committees were established. (1) Parner (November 11, 1981) (2) Karjat (September 12, 1984) (3) Akola (June 17, 1988) At the end of the decade 1981-90, all 13 talukas of the district were supervised by separate market committee. The Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939 has been repealed with the enforcement of the Maharashtra Agri cultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act of 1963. All the regulated markets established under the repealed Act of 1939 are deemed to be established under the new Act. 124 5.3 Constitution of market committee Agricultural produce market committee is controlled by the board of directors. Constitution of board of directors of the market committee is given in 'The Maharashtra Agri cultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1963’ as fol lows^ : (a) ten agricul tur ists residing in the market area (not being less than twenty one years of age on the date specified from time to time by the Collector in this behalf); seven of whom shall be elected by members of the managing committees of the agricultural credit societies, and multipurpose co-operative societies within the meaning of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act 1960, and the rules made thereunder, functioning in the market area; and three (of whom one shall be a person belonging to Scheduled Casts or Scheduled Tribes) shall be elected by members of v il la g e panchyats functioning therein; (b) two shall be elected by traders and commission agents, holding licences to operate as such in the market area; (c) one member shall be elected by ham als and weighmen operating as such in the market area; (d) one shall be the Chairman of the co-operative society doing business of processing or marketing of agricul tural produce in the market area; or in his absence a representative of the co-operative society elected by its managing committee : 125 Provided that, if there be more than one such co operative societies in the market area, then the Chaii— man of any one of such co-operative societies or in his absence a representative, elected by the managing committee of such societies; (e) one shall be Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti within the jurisdiction of which the market area or major portion thereof is situated of the representative elected by such Panchayat Samiti; (f) one shall be the President or Sarpanch of the local authority (other than a Panchayat Samiti) within the jurisdiction of which the principal market is situated or the representative elected by such local authority; (g) the Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies of the district or his representative, who shall have no right to vote; (h) the Assistant Cotton Extension Officer or, where there is no such officer, the District Agricultural Officer of the Department of Agriculture; neither of them shall have the right to vote. Under the provisions of the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act of 1963 the market com mittees comprised elected representatives of agriculturists and traders as well as nominated members from Government and local bodies. As per the amendment of 1987, one director is elected from hamals and mapadis. Chairman and Vice-chairman are elected by the members of the board of directors. Secretary of the committee is the 126 full time employee and office bearer. He has to look after the routine matters with consultation of the board and guidelines given by the Act. 5.4 Market committees in Ahmednagar district It is found that, at the beginning of the decade 1981- 90, there were no market committee at every taluka centre of the district. Three talukas viz, Parner, Karjat and Akola had no separate market committee in the beginning of the year 1981, which were established latter on. At the end of the decade 1981-90 there were separate market committees for all 13 talukas of the district. Details of background of each market committee are as follows : (1) Ahmednagar : Being a district place and the nearest big market to the southern talukas of Ahmednagar district, it has a greater importance. The Ahmednagar Agricultui— al Produce Market Committee was established in August, 1954. Transport and communication facilities are conven iently available at Ahmednagar. It is also served by Pune-Ahmednagar road and Daund-Manmad railway line. Ahmednagar market is connected by highways to Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Aurangabad, Beed and Osmanbad dis tricts . The area of operation of the market committee were extends over the entire Ahmednagar and Parner talukas. In November 1981, Parner got separate market committee and since then, the area of operation of Ahmednagar 127 market committee extends over the entire Ahmednagar taluka only. The market committee has its own land and provided all the necessary facilities with storage also, (2) Rahuri : The market committee at Rahuri was established on 18th March, 1950. Rahuri market is served by the Daund-Manmad railway line of the Central Railway and is connected with the important market centres on the Central and South-Central Railway lines. The market is also connected by Pune-Manmad state highway, which helps to establish trade link with Pune, Shrirampur, Kopargaon and Manmad. The market committee has its own market yard with storage facilities. (3) Shrirampur : The Agricultural Produce Market Committee at Shrirampur was established on 9th January, 1950. It is one of the most important market committees in the district. It is served by Daund-Manmad railway line. Road development was also satisfactory. The Sangamner- Aurangabad State highway and other major district roads provide the market an easy access to distant market centres. It is one of the well-established market yard of the district. The committee had its own market yard and ample ware-housing facilities. (4) Newasa : The Agricultural Produce Market Committee at Newasa was established on 24th April, 1957, but the 128 actual functioning of the same was started from 29th March, 1968. The prosperity of the agricultural economy around Newasa, which has mainly been due to the availability of irrigation facilities has contributed to the devel opment of the market. There is no railway transporta tion in the taluka but it is connected with Shrirampur, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar by road. The area of operation of the market committee extends over the entire Newasa taluka. The market committee has a separate market yard with sufficient facilities for the convenience of the agriculturists and traders. (5) Shevgaon : It is one of the remarkable markets of the southern part of the district. It was established on 1st June, 1955. The Shevgaon market is connected to Ahmednagar, Beed and Newasa market.