Maharashtra to amend APMC ActOur Regional Bureau / Baramati, Maharashtra March 10, 2006The Maharashtra government will pave the way for the entry of contract farming in the state by amending the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee(APMC) Act that will lay down strict guidelines to ensure protection of farmers from exploitation by the contracting parties.Rana Patil, minister of state for agriculture, told mediapersons on the sidelines of the inaugural function of the 6th Baramati Initiative that the amended APMC Act will be presented to the state legislative assembly at the forthcoming budget session. "Contract farming will benefit farmers by crop diversification and marketing support, but care must be taken to ensure that farmers are not exploited by unscrupulous parties. The amendment will provide for strict penalties for those who dupe farmers," Patil said.Providing for contract farming in the state
