A new outlet of Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APMC) was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday. The outlet, where fresh food products will be sold, is located inside the civil secretariat in Itanagar.
The initiative by the APMC is praiseworthy. Such outlets should be opened in all the district headquarters as well. The APMC should purchase the items directly from the farmers and sell it in these outlets. This will provide farmers direct market linkage. The APMC should also work out the pricing in such a manner that it profits the farmers.
During the same event, Chief Minister Pema Khandu informed that the central government leadership has accepted the proposal that armed forces and central paramilitary present in the state should buy agri-horti produce from the farmers of Arunachal Pradesh. This is another appreciable announcement.
If this materializes it will be a massive game-changer for the farmers of the state.
There is a large presence of armed forces, including the Army and paramilitary forces in the state. At present, a majority of their supplies come from neighbouring Assam. Once they start buying from local farmers it will be a win-win situation for both. The farmers will get proper markets and the armed forces will get fresh organic products. The APMC can play a vital role in this regard. At present most of the people who are in the agri-horti field are turning losses and are unable to get profit due to lack of proper market.
Also, departments like agriculture and horticulture have failed to support the farmers of the state in the true sense. The lack of new technology is affecting production capacities.
Barring a few who can afford high-tech equipment, a majority of farmers still use age-old technology. The government should look into it too.