The inter-ministerial group (IMG) on inflation has pointed out an urgent need for states to amend the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) acts to facilitate the free movement of essential food items, which, according to the group, is very important for achieving and sustaining a lower food inflation level.
The IMG was set-up at the suggestion of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ‘in order to review the inflation situation and suggest corrective measures.’ The second meeting of the IMG on inflation was held on Monday under the Chairmanship of Dr Kaushik Basu, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Ministry of Finance.
In Monday’s meeting, there was a discussion on the need to revise the APMC act and encourage competition among traders and also to promote efficiency in retailing. Dr Basu stressed that there were certain natural rises and falls of price which are the market’s way of signaling information to consumers and it was not a good idea to flatten out these natural price movements.
He added that it was only when a small shortfall in production results in a disproportionate rise in prices that one realizes that there might be flaws in the marketing system. Basu said that it was these flaws that we need to correct. Towards this end, the IMG felt an urgent need to reform the APMC acts and in fact the overall marketing system as far as farm produce was concerned.
While some states have already amended their APMC Acts, many states are yet to relax the norms that restrict sale of agriculture produce. Until greater freedom in movement of food articles is grated, observed the IMG, it would be very difficult to improve efficiency in marketing and bring down the difference between farm gate and consumer prices. It has been earlier noted by government agencies as well as independent economists that major reason for high food inflation was large difference between retail and wholesale prices which indicated substantial inefficiencies in marketing and distribution.
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