APMC ACT Agricultural Produce Market Committees constituted as per APMC Acts manage the markets.

Over the years, to achieve an efficient system of buying and selling of agricultural commodities, most of the State Governments and Union Territories enacted legislations (Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act (APMC Act) to provide for regulation of agricultural produce markets. Most of the wholesale markets and some of the rural primary markets have been brought under regulation. So far 25 States and 2 UTs (Delhi and Chandigarh) have established Agril. Marketing Boards in their respective States/UTs. The number of regulated markets is relatively more in geographically larger states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. These six States account for 53% of total regulated markets in the country. The States of Punjab and Haryana though geographically small, have a large number of regulated markets owing to sizable quantity of surpluses of rice and wheat. These two states account for 9.5% of the total regulated markets in the country. The area served per regulated markets varies from 115 Sq. Km. in Punjab to 11215 Sq. Km. in Meghalaya The National Commission on Agriculture (1976) and National Commission on Farmers (2004) have recommended that the facility of regulated market should be available to the farmers within a radius of 5 Km. If this is considered a benchmark, the command area of a market should not exceed 80 Sq. Km. The benefits available to the farmers from regulated markets depend on the facilities/amenities available rather than the number of regulated markets in the area. Both covered and open auction platforms exist in two-thirds of the regulated markets. Traders modules viz; shop, godown and platform in front of shop exist in 63 percent of the markets Salient Features

The Title of the Act is changed to highlight the objective of development of agricultural marketing .Legal persons, growers and local authorities are permitted to apply for the establishment of new markets for agricultural produce in any area. There will be no compulsion on the growers to sell their produce through existing markets administered by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). However, agriculturist who does not bring his produce to the market area for sale will not be eligible for election to the APMC.

Separate provision is made for notification of Special Markets or Special Commodities Markets in any market area for specified agricultural commodities to be operated in addition to existing markets.

Model specification of contract farming agreements provided in the Addendum to the model law. .Provision made for direct sale of farm produce to contract farming sponsor from farmers field without the necessity of routing it through notified markets

RESPONSIBILITY OF APMC Ensuring complete transparency in pricing system and transactions taking place in market area; Providing market-led extension services to farmers; Ensuring payment for agricultural produce sold by farmers on the same day; Promoting agricultural processing including activities for value addition in agricultural produce; and Publicizing data on arrivals and rates of agricultural produce brought into the market area for sale. REFERENCE-http://mofpi.nic.in/images/File/FICCI%20Data/Indian%20Food %20Laws/Agricultural%20Produce%20Market%20Committees%20(APMC %20Act).pdf http://agmarknet.nic.in/amrscheme/modelact.htm#Background