The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Thursday, October 14, passed another ordinance to provide immediate relief to the farmers who have been severely hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, was approved by the state cabinet.

In a statement, the government stated that the ordinance would aid in the creation of a favourable environment for setting up and operating private market yards, farmer-consumer market yards (Krushak Bazaar), and sub-market yards.

‘The Cabinet decided to re-promulgate Odisha Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 to provide competitive rates to the farmers for their produces. It will benefit the farmers of the state,’ said Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, reported OrissaPost.

The government claimed that the laws would abolish the fragmentation of the market within the state by removing the concept of notified market area for enforcement of regulation by the Agriculture Produce and Livestock Market Committee (APMLC).

It also claimed that the ordinance would remove geographical restrictions thereby encouraging farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the state, adding to their convenience. A single point levy of market fee across the state would facilitate the process.

According to the government, the ordinance would promote private investment in the construction of new godowns, sorting, grading, packaging, scientific storage, and warehousing.

The concept to digitise the transactions would also be pushed for while implementation of the ordinance. E-trading would be promoted to enhance transparency in trade operations and the integration of markets across geographies.

Interestingly, this resembles the Centre’s farm bill ordinances which received flak from the farmer bodies across multiple states. Odisha was one of the prominent states which witnessed farmers’ protests against the new farm laws.

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