Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

10 (up to December 2009), an amount of Rs. 8.92
crore has been realised.
10.21 Training: The Directorate of Marketing
and Inspection conducts a number of training
courses relating to agricultural marketing for the
benefit of state governments and UTs,
cooperatives, corporations, market committees,
marketing boards, and other statutory bodies.
Under these training programmes, 12,490
agricultural marketing personnel have been
trained since inception up to November 2009.
During the year 2008-09 and up to November
2009, 155 personnel have been trained under
different programmes.
10.22 Regulation, Development, and
Management of Agricultural Produce Markets:
Agricultural markets are regulated and managed
under the Agricultural Produce Market Act
enacted by the respective state governments.
The Central Government provides guidance and
assistance in the regulation and development of
agricultural produce markets. By the end of
March 2009, 7,153 markets have been brought
under the ambit of regulation. In the perspective
of agricultural marketing reforms and the Model
Act, a final draft of the Model APMC Rules, 2007,
has been framed and circulated to all the state
governments and UT administrations for
consideration and adoption.
10.23 Marketing Extension: Quality control
programmes under Agmark as well as different
plan schemes of the Directorate are given wide
publicity through the mass media. The
information is disseminated through
documentaries, video spots, printed literature,
exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and
workshops. A quarterly journal, Agricultural
Marketing, is brought out regularly.
10.24 The DAC participated in the India
International Trade Fair 2009 in November 2009
at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, and will participate
in AHARA 2010 in March 2010. The DAC, through
its regional and sub-offices, participated in nine
exhibitions during 2008-09 and in two exhibitions
up to November 2009, organised by other
agencies at different places, and set up AGMARK
stalls and mini-laboratories to demonstrate
simple tests for the detection of adulteration in
edible food products. Necessary follow-up action
is being taken to participate in as many
exhibitions as possible to disseminate the
message of AGMARK to consumers and farmers
during 2009-10.
10.25 As a part of consumer awareness
programmes, the DAC organised symposia on
AGMARK /farmer awareness programmes cum
exhibitions at 11 regional offices all over India
on World Consumer Day on 15 March 2009, and
proposes to organise the same on 15 March
2010. AGMARK advertisements in the vernacular
and video spots are being released in the current
financial year 2009-10.
10.26 Marketing Research and Information
Network (AGMARKNET): A Central Sector
Marketing Research and Information Network
scheme was launched by the Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation in March 2000. The
scheme aims at progressively linking important
agricultural produce markets spread all over the
country, with State Agricultural Marketing Boards
and Directorates, and the DMI, for the effective
exchange of market information. The market
information network, AGMARKNET (agmarknet.
nic.in), is being implemented jointly by the DMI
and NIC, using NICNET facilities available
throughout the country. The objective of the
scheme is to facilitate the collection and
dissemination of information for better price
realisation by the farmers. The information covers
market, price, infrastructure, and promotion
related issues for efficient marketing. Up to the
Tenth Plan, 2,155 nodes have been brought under
the network, against a target of 2,000 nodes.
During the Eleventh Plan, 349 nodes have so far
(as of January 2010) been covered under the
scheme, against a target of 360 nodes.
10.27 The markets report daily prices and arrival
Agricultural Marketing
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