Operational Efficiency of Agricultural Regulated Markets in Chittoor District, A.P – An Analytical Review

The farmers Under traditional marketing system sell their produce to village money lenders for whom they were indebted. Finally, the farmers may suffer high. Due to lack of storage and transport facilities the formers were compelled to dispose their produce to middlemen at villages at lower prices To improve marketing conditions, enrich the economy of farmers and to increase the bargaining power of farmers it is necessary to bring an orderly marketing system. Regulated markets were commenced with a view to protect the economic interest of the formers and narrow down the unfair practices in the markets. The present paper seeks to evaluate the operational efficiency of agricultural regulated markets in terms of infrastructure and their maintenance, market regulations and practices, financial efficiency and its implications, latest trends in market arrivals and their impact. There are 19 Agricultural Market Committees (AMCs) in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh to control the regulated markets as per the provisions of Andhra Pradesh (Agricultural Produce & Livestock) Markets Act, 1966. In Chittoor district 45 notified markets are functioning including 19 principal markets (AMCs). Out of the 19 AMCs 10 AMCs are functioning regularly and 9 AMCs are not functioning effectively as they are non- functional. Out of the 10 functional markets (AMCs), 6 AMCs viz., Valmikipuram, Bangarupalem, Mulakalacheruvu Palamaneru, Madanapalli, and Punganuru were taken for the present study. 294 farmers from different villages were taken at random for filed investigation. The agricultural regulated markets have been playing a crucial role in protecting the interests of the farmers against the malpractices by the middlemen. The empirical analysis of the study extracted some interesting observations. Majority of the respondents opined that the amenities available in the regulated markets are adequate but the AMCs have not maintained the amenities properly. About 56 per cent of the respondents have been utilizing the amenities. Some of the respondents opined that business hours of the AMCs are fixed as per the convenience of the commission agents/ traders. Most of the disputes were settled through the commission agents/traders. Only half of the crop, which is produced by the farmers, was brought to regulated markets and rest of the crop was disposed at village market itself. The AMCs should conduct awareness camps on the services offered by the regulated markets. Otherwise, the purpose for which regulated markets were established can never be fulfilled.