National

Panel on farm reforms set up

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV.19. The Centre has set up a Standing Committee of State Ministers to evolve an action plan for the implementation of reform steps in the agriculture-marketing sector. It would be headed by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav.

The committee would make recommendations for the development of competitive agriculture markets/marketing infrastructure in private and cooperative sectors and for promotion of direct marketing and contract farming programmes; rationalisation in levy of marketing fees and modernisation of existing agriculture markets through private-public partnership.

The committee will also look into the development of rural godowns/cold storage to provide single point comprehensive warehousing and marketing services to farmers; promotion of pledge financing and marketing credit through the network of rural godowns; promotion of information technology and reorientation of training and extension services to assist the farming community to respond to emerging challenges in agriculture marketing and to create an ambience of good marketing practices.ry.

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