Punjab minister reviews draft agri marketing policy, calls for urgent farmer consultations

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Monday, held detailed discussions with senior officers of the department on the draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing at his office. He decided to call an immediate meeting with farmers and other stakeholders within the week.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, along with Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Anurag Verma, Chairman of Punjab State Farmers' & Farm Workers' Commission Dr. Sukhpal Singh, and Secretary of Punjab Mandi Board Ramvir, directed department officials to convene a meeting with farmer representatives, agriculture experts, and other stakeholders to analyze and consult on the draft policy shared by the Government of India (GoI).

The minister emphasized that the draft policy required thorough analysis and consultation, as it could have serious implications for the state and its farmers. He informed that the Agriculture Department had already written to Dr. S.K. Singh, Deputy Agriculture Marketing Adviser and convener of the drafting committee at GoI, requesting a minimum of three weeks to submit comments on the draft policy.

Reaffirming the Punjab government’s commitment under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to ensure the welfare of farmers, the Agriculture Minister directed officials to conduct an in-depth study of the draft policy. He stressed that no point should be overlooked, as any lapse could adversely impact the farming community in the short or long term.

The minister also instructed officials to focus on critical issues such as MSP, market fees to further strengthen the Mandi Board, and the state’s agricultural marketing infrastructure. He underlined the need to safeguard farmers’ interests against big corporates while ensuring a secure and supportive environment for them.

The high-level meeting was attended by Director of Agriculture Jaswant Singh, Head of Economic and Sociology (PAU) Dr. Jitender Mohan Singh, and senior officials of the Punjab Mandi Board and Agriculture Department.