Need To Shun Middlemen Menace In Agri-Horti Produces: Pema Khandu

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday stressed on the need for doing away with the middlemen menace in the State where local farm and horticulture produces are bought at throwaway prices but sold at higher prices outside.

Attending the first sitting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) of Chief Ministers for Transformation of Indian Agriculture at Niti Aayog in New Delhi, Khandu said that to help farmers have proper access to markets, the State Government has enacted the Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing Act 2018. Taking part in the discussion, jointly chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Khandu said high priority has been given to development of agriculture and allied sector in Arunachal by earmarking maximum funds for this sector in the 2018-19 budget.

“To end the intermediaries in sale of farm products, the budget has also allocated funds for construction of wholesale market-cum-auction centers across the State, which will be linked with e-NAM so that produce can be sold online,” Chief Minister Pema Khandu said.

Highlighting on other challenges faced by the State, Pema Khandu said since Arunachal is a late starter in agriculture and horticulture sector, it would require continuous support from the Centre particularly in identifying State specific farm products and varieties that can be exported.

He specifically urged the Centre to assist the State in helping to identify the varieties of exportable species of orchids, flowers and horticulture crops, a CMO release informed here.

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