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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4127
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17TH MARCH, 2026
REGULATORY OVERSIGHT OF APMCs
4127. DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the current status of governance and regulatory oversight of Agricultural Produce Market
Committees (APMCs) including the total number of functional APMCs and frequency of audits
conducted during the last three years in the country, State/UT-wise particularly Maharashtra;
(b) whether the Government has evaluated complaints related to lack of transparency,
cartelisation, fee-related disputes and decision-making without farmer consultation in certain
APMCs in Maharashtra, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any central advisories, model guidelines or reform benchmarks have been issued
to States to improve accountability and farmer participation in APMC functioning and if so,
their adoption status, State/UT-wise particularly in Maharashtra;
(d) whether the Government is aware of specific grievances raised by farmers and traders in
Pune APMC and the remedial action taken thereon; and
(e) the institutional measures proposed to ensure impartial supervision, grievance redressal
and farmer-centric reforms in APMCs across the country, State/UT-wise particularly in
Maharashtra?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)
(a): Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) are regulated by the respective
State/UT Governments under their State APMC Acts and Rules. As per the information
received from the Government of Maharashtra, there are 305 APMCs functioning in the State.
Under Rule 116 of the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce (Development and Regulation)
Rules, 1967, statutory audit of each APMC is required to be conducted annually. The
procedure for appointment of auditors for statutory audit is prescribed in the Office Circular
of Government of Maharashtra dated 27.03.2015. The status of statutory audit of APMCs in
Maharashtra during the last three years is as follows:
Year No. of APMCs Statutory Audit Completed Percentage (%)
2022–23 305 285 93%
2023–24 305 272 89%
2024–25 305 190 62%(b): As informed by Government of Maharashtra, in Maharashtra, the functioning of
APMCs is governed by the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce (Development and Regulation)
Act, 1963 and the Rules framed thereunder. The Act and Rules contain provisions
empowering the competent authorities to address complaints relating to lack of transparency
in APMC functioning, cartelisation, disputes related to market fee, and other operational
issues. Further, the Act provides for an appeal mechanism whereby any aggrieved person or
market functionary may file an appeal against decisions or orders passed by the competent
authority. Accordingly, such complaints are examined and resolved by the concerned
authorities from time to time.
(c): Agricultural marketing is a State subject. However, in order to create an accessible
marketing ecosystem and ensuring better price realization for farmers, the Department of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) regularly coordinates with States to share best
practices and facilitate trade, including through National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).
Various States have carried out reforms such as establishment of private markets,
promotion of direct marketing, declaration of warehouses/silos/cold storages as deemed
market yards, introduction of e-trading platforms, single-point levy of market fee, provision of
a single unified licence, rationalization of market fee and rationalization of commission
charges, operationalisation of modules integrated with e-NAM (FPO module, e-NWR module,
payment gateway features, platform of platforms, e-permit and farm-gate), recognition of
trading licences of other State (reciprocity of trading licence), deregulation of fruits and
vegetables, exemption of market fee for direct sales to processing units/factories by farmers/
FPOs at their premises, and exemption of market fee on produce brought from other States
for processing, including the State of Maharashtra.
(d): As informed by Government of Maharashtra, the Directorate of Marketing,
Government of Maharashtra, Pune has received complaints regarding alleged malpractices
and irregularities in issuance of purchase and sale licences, illegal allocation of shop spaces
and other instances of mismanagement in APMC Pune. In this regard, an Inspection
Committee was constituted under Section 40A of the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce
(Development and Regulation) Act, 1963. The inspection has been completed and the
Committee submitted its report on 27.02.2026. Based on the findings of the report, notices
have been issued to the concerned parties under Rule 117(4) of the Maharashtra Agricultural
Produce (Development and Regulation) Rules, 1967 for further necessary action.
(e): The responsibility for regulation and supervision of APMCs primarily rests with the
State/UT Governments. As reported by Government of Maharashtra, institutional measures
aimed at improving transparency, accountability, grievance redressal mechanisms and
farmer-centric reforms in APMCs have been initiated by the concerned State Governments
in accordance with their respective APMC Acts and Rules. These measures include
strengthening of audit systems, inspection mechanisms, grievance redressal processes and
implementation of reforms based on the Model APMC framework.
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