From farm to market, thanks to FPCs

Amidst reports of rising prices of vegetables, it is likely that they may be available at a lower price in the city as farmers in Nashik have formed 700 co-operative societies to sell their produce directly to markets in Mumbai.

According to the managing director of Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) M.R. More, 700 co-operative houses have signed up as ‘Farmer Producer Companies’ (FPC), which is being pitched as an alternative to the APMCs. Mr More, however, clarified that Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) would continue to function. “The new regulations have removed the compulsion of selling only through APMCs. Farmers are free to sell their produce anywhere and traders are free to buy from any farmer,” Mr More said.

He further added, “We have brought down the middlemen between the farmer and the consumer. Vegetables and fruits are extremely delicate. With several stages of handling, a large portion of the stock becomes bad. Secondly, there are various commissions, profits and cess, which add to the cost of the produce.”

Commenting on how the new regulation would affect markets in Mumbai, Mr More said, “Under the new method, the produce will be packed at the farm and sent to the city markets. In Mumbai it could be sent directly to dealers or hoteliers or housing societies. The agriculture produce will be packed and delivered to the consumer directly,” he said.

Farmer leader and former MLA Baban Gholap said that it would put more money in the farmers’ pockets and stop their exploitation.

“The APMC was not providing any facilities to the farmers but was only exploiting them,” he said.

However, Lasalgaon APMC chairman Jaydatt Holkar said that the FPCs would fail in its objective. “Those who have invested in these companies will need returns on their investments. They are not there to only serve. Secondly, there will be no controlling body as is available in APMCs, which helped the farmers,” he said.