Dilatory Reforms in Indian Agricultural Marketing: An Ongoing Weakness1

Economic policy reform is an ongoing process requiring regular reassessment when implementation issues emerge. This is especially important when policies concern economic activities such as marketing or production. Historically, the difficulties of agricultural marketing have been recognised, dating back to the Royal Commission on Agriculture and continuing through various committees. The initial plan, which set up the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee structure, was the first step in reform. I have reviewed all reform efforts, starting with APMC in its various forms, along with reports from expert committees and measures adopted by different governments to enhance agricultural marketing, ensuring farmers’ welfare is protected and receive fair treatment and market prices. Although most efforts have yielded limited satisfactory results, some problematic issues in agricultural marketing remain, negatively impacting the sector. I have identified several complex and significant issues that require policy attention in the coming years, picked from reform efforts. While I am not overly optimistic that these issues will resolve every problem caused by the political-economic structure of Indian markets, I have aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of agricultural marketing reforms.