Odisha Govt To Repromulgate Ordinance On Marketing Farm Produce

Bhubaneswar: The state government has approved a proposal to repromulgate the ordinance on agricultural produce and livestock marketing to attract private investors in the sector. The Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance promulgated on May 13 will lapse soon, said chief secretary AK Tripathy.

The proposal was approved at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. The government is planning to pass it in the winter session of Assembly. The new ordinance will allow the private investors to invest in the marketing of agricultural produce, the chief secretary said.

“The Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1956 has been amended from time to time, but it is found that the objective was not fully achieved. Agricultural marketing in Odisha still suffers from poor infrastructure and operational inefficiency,” he said.

The existing regulatory framework does not support free flow of agricultural produce and direct interface between farmers and the processors or exporters. In order to provide a level playing field to sellers and buyers to make transparent transactions, the present law needs to be changed, the chief secretary said.

The new ordinance, drafted in accordance with the central law, will create a conducive environment for agricultural marketing, which help farmers realise better remuneration, he added.