Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday batted for further promotion of inter-state trade for the remunerative price of produce to farmers on one hand and supply of quality products at affordable price to people on the other.
Mann stated this while chairing a meeting with chairmen and managing directors of mandi boards of several states here, according to an official statement.
Mann said all the states must join their hands in developing a common platform to buy and sell commodities.
This is the need of the hour to safeguard the interests of both consumers and farmers, said Mann, adding that this will ensure the availability of the best products to people and remunerative price of produce to farmers.
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He said, “When the entire world has emerged as a single market, unnecessary shackles within the states regarding production and marketing of produce should be removed.”
This 'farm to fork' approach and availability of goods within all the states will immensely benefit consumers and farmers in a big way.
It is imperative to adopt this approach to ensure that farmers get their profit, Mann said.
Due to ever escalating cost of farm inputs and lower returns, agriculture is no longer a profitable venture, said Mann.
If the idea of a common platform for marketing of produce is evolved, it will help farmers in a big way, he said.
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During the meeting, Mann also explained to the visiting delegations about the utilisation of rural development fund (RDF) by the state for public welfare.
However, he bemoaned that a whopping sum of Rs 5,637.4 crore of the state's RDF is still pending with the Union government.
Despite various efforts, the Union government is not releasing these funds which is a grave injustice to the state, he said.
Punjab Mandi Board, chairman, Hacrchand Singh Barsat, Goa Mandi Board, chairman, Parkash Chander Velip, Haryana Mandi Board, chairman, Aditya Devilal Chautala, Uttarakhand Mandi Board, managing director, Ashish Bhatgain and others were present.
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