The Union Cabinet has approved an Ordinance to end monopolies of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs). This will enable farmers to sell their produce “wherever” and to “whoever” in the country. However, this choice may not be exercised immediately. At least in the foreseeable future, small farmers will load their F&V produce in tempos and trudge across to the APMCs at the crack of dawn. The same players will be present; traders, arthiyas, vegetable vendors, food processors. Sure, in Unlock 1.0, they might be masked, gloved and sanitised. However, the important query here is: Will the market be sanitised?
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