( First Circular)

30th National Conference on Agricultural

Marketing
ORGANISED BY
INDIAN SOCIETY OF AGRICUTURAL MAREKTING
Near Borlaug Guest House, PJTSAU Campus, Rajendranagar,
Hyderabad-500 030
And
DEPT. OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES,
BENARUS HINDU UNIVERSITY, VARANASI

Date: 20th, 21st and 22nd October 2016

Venue: B.H.U., Varanasi
The 30th National Conference on Agricultural Marketing of Indian Society of
Agricultural Marketing will be held jointly with Department of Agricultural
Economics, IAS, BHU., Varanasi. Prof.C.Ramasamy, Former Vice
Chancellor, TNAU., Coimbatore has kindly consented to deliver the
Presidential Address at the conference.
The conference will discuss the following three themes on which research
papers are invited.Theme I. Status of reforms in agricultural marketing in different states
Theme II. Impact of organized retailing on Indian agriculture
Theme III. Structural Changes in Agricultural Marketing
and Agr-Business in Uttar Pradesh
About the submission of papers for discussion at the conference.a. Papers should be original in their findings and prepared exclusively for
the conference in accordance with the guidelines provided under each
theme.

b. Papers should not exceed ten pages (strictly), typed neatly in double
space on one side of A- 4 size paper.
c. Papers should bear the title below which name and addresses of the
authors. All text/figures / graphs should be in black and white.
d. Three hard Copies of the paper, typed in double space, along with a soft
copy in word file through CD or email should reach the Society Office at
Hyderabad, positively before 30th August, 2016.
e. All papers should be accompanied with three copies of the summary,
strictly not more than 200 words, typed on separate sheet.
f. Only one paper will be accepted from each author, on any one of the
themes.
g. Papers written within the given frame of the themes and supported by
data will only be considered for discussion at the conference.
h. Papers running beyond 10 pages, with summaries having more than 200
words, late submitted papers and papers which do not fall under the
purview of the conference themes will be summarily rejected. No
correspondence will be made on such papers.
i. Only papers presented at the Conference and recommended by the
Chairmen of the respective technical sessions, will be published, either
in summary or in full form, in the conference special issue of IJAM , within
a month after the conference.
j. Communication regarding the acceptance of the papers for discussion at
the conference will be sent to the respective senior authors during the
first week of September 2016.
k.All correspondence regarding the submission of the papers for the
Conference may be addressed to the Secretary and Managing Editor of
the Society at Hyderabad.
Details of the Conference schedule will be given in the Second Circular,
which will be issued by the Organizing Secretary of the Conference,
Prof. H.P.Singh, Prof. & Head, Dept. of Agril.Economics, IAS.,
B.H.U., Varanasi-221005, Mob: 9450824138 emailhpsingh@bhu.ac.in.
Guidelines for paper writers
Theme 1. Status of reforms in agricultural marketing in different states
In order to bring efficiency and transparency in the marketing of
agricultural produce in the country the Union Government has suggested a
Model Agricultural Produce Marketing Act, common to all the states. The

salient features of the proposed Act are to bring transparency in pricing

system, promoting market led extension, setting up of the private markets,
promoting contract farming, direct marketing, futures trading, value
addition, single point levy of market fee etc. The union Government has
provided subsidy facility in infrastructure development for the states
adopting the proposed Act. However, only 17 states have partly amended
their State Marketing Acts intone with the Model Act of which only 9 states
have prepared rules for the adopted provision of the Model Act. Therefore,
the reforms suggested by the Union Government in bringing uniformity in
the marketing regulation and promote infrastructure development in
agricultural marketing largely remained unattended by the states. In this
context, papers, supported by empirical data, are invited for discussion at
the conference on the following issues.i.
Constraints faced by the states in adopting the Model Act
ii.
Model Act and the experience of the stake holders
iii.
Model Act and the resultant infrastructure and technology
development in agricultural marketing
iv.
Way forward to bring better marketing environment among the
states
Theme 2: Impact of organized retailing on Indian agricultural markets
In the recent years, due to the establishment of many departmental stores,
there has been an over all improvement in the supply chain management of
perishable horticulture produce. This has resulted in the reduction of post
harvest and handling losses of horticulture commodities. These new
generation retailing institutions paved way for the infrastructure
development, improved production and processing technologies and alternate
channels of marketing. However, the sustainability of these intuitions is
largely related to the supply of quality goods as per the schedule. In this
context, the network of agricultural produce markets across the country will
play a vital role. The remunerative prices provided by these markets enable
the farmers, who are largely with small and marginal land holdings, to adopt
better production technology and increase the production of quality produce.
Thus the efficiency of these markets will reflect on the efficiency of the retail
marketing units. Therefore, the traditional agricultural produce markets are
to be integrated with the organized retailing units. Such integration will
enhance inclusive growth and penetration of technology to rural areas. With
the sustained supply of quality farm products to the urban consumers their
demand will continue to grow. In order to bring infrastructure development,
efficiency in supply chain management, increase in farm income and

effective inclusive growth, the organized retailing are to go hand in hand with
the agricultural marketing system in the country. In some places, farmer
groups formed producer organizations and marketing their produce directly
to the retailing units for better price and the profits are ploughed back for the
farm infrastructure development. Organized retailing promotes contract
farming by the companies, in order to get the quality and quantity of the
required raw material in time. However, the recent growth of the private
markets and organized retailing units impacting the revenue of the traditional
Agriculture Produce Market Committees in the country., The are also
gradually reducing the employment potential and income of the push cart
vendors. There is an apprehension that the organized retail units established
by multinationals will siphon out the good quality produce of the country to
their over seas retail units to get high profits. The agencies establishing the
organized retail units are exerting pressure on the policy makers to reduce the
network of the local retailers so as to increase their market share. In this
context, papers are invited on the following issues.i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

Marketing efficiency among the organized retailing units

Growth of infrastructure development and technology adoption by
farmers induced by the organized retailing
Organized retailing and value addition, crop diversification and
farm income
Spread of alternate marketing channels promoted by organized
retailing
Inclusive growth and organized retailing
Integration of new generation retailing units with tradition
network of agricultural produce markets

Theme : 3. Structural Changes in Agricultural Marketing and Agr-Business in

Uttar Pradesh
An efficient agricultural marketing system plays vital role in
stabilizing consumers prices, reducing post harvest losses
and improving farmers income. It also optimizes resource
use, and facilitates growth of agro-based industries and
enhances value addition. The essential component of
improving marketing efficiency is linking the farm gate with

retail outlets. Agriculture being state subject, central government only

suggests state government on various policy issues and state governments
have to implement the policies/reforms in agricultural sector. Realizing the
imperfection in agricultural marketing system, Government of India
circulated a Mandi Model 2003 to all states with suggestion to amend APMC
Act in line with the Mandi Model Act. The Mandi Model 2003 proposed,
direct purchase of agricultural produce from producers, Public Private
Partnership in management and development of agricultural markets,
consumer/farmer market (Direct sale by the producer) , contract farming,
unified license, establishment of specialized markets and single point levy of
market fee etc.
Uttar Pradesh, with the area of 2, 40,928 sq. km. is the fifth largest state in
India and occupies 7.3 percent of the total area of the country. The state
ranks first in the country with a population of 199.5 million and population
density of 828 per square kilometer .The state is divided into 75
administrative districts under 18 divisions which are broadly classified into
four economic regions viz., the Eastern, Western, Central and Bundelkhand
regions. There are 22.9 million operational holdings in the state of which,
proportion of small and marginal farmers are 13.14 and 79.22 percent
respectively. The average size of operational holdings is only 0.75 ha which
is lower than the countrys average of 1.16 ha. The economy of the state is
predominantly agrarian with 77.7 percent of population living in rural areas,
mainly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The state is a large
contributor to the food basket of the country has an economy characterized
by low productivity, high incidence of poverty and wide gap between the
state and national per capita income. Marketing of agricultural produce in the
state is regulated under Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act
1964. There are 250 regulated markets spread over 75 districts of the state
where 2.5 percent mandi fee is charged . The following broad aspects/issues
may be considered by the researchers and planners to contribute papers for
the conference.
* Structural Changes in production pattern of agriculture and allied sector
* Status and development of market infrastructures and corporate investment
in Uttar Pradesh
* Market integration
* Trends in arrival and prices of major agricultural commodities in Uttar
Pradesh
* Marketing of food grains , pulses, fruits & vegetables, milk and milk
products, in Uttar Pradesh,

* Farmers perception regarding various price sources and effectiveness of

price utilization by Farmers
* Government intervention in promoting agribusiness in the state,
* New initiatives in agricultural marketing such as e-auction and e-trading
and E-commerce of Agribusiness in Uttar Pradesh
* Skill requirements for promoting agribusiness in Uttar Pradesh
* Risk management mechanisms for agribusiness in Uttar Pradesh
* Experiences of market intelligence and market information system towards
marketing efficiency
Note: Paper writers may take into consideration, the postal delays while
dispatching their papers and ensure that they reach the office of the Society
not later than 30th August,2016.
Please mention Phone Number along with the address of the Society, if
papers/letters are sent through courier services.
Kindly adhere to the norms for submitting the papers to avoid further
correspondence.

Date: 31st Marc 2016

Hyderabad 500 030

(T.SATYANARAYANA)
Secretary and Managing Editor
Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing
Phone: 040-24014884,
Fax:24014883
e-mail: secretary.isam.ngp@gmail.com