With Punjab opposing the Centre’s agriculture-related ordinance, rice exporters in the State are in quandary as the fresh rice crop is about to arrive in the market but there is no clarity on issues surrounding the market fee and rural development fund (RDF), according to a trade association.
The Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association has asked the State government to clarify its stand on the issue of levying fee as the neighbouring States have already accepted the new ordinance.
“We are in a total state of confusion. The Central government’s ordinance [Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance] has created a parallel system, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to exporters, while the Punjab government has opposed the ordinance. The basmati growing States, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Jammu-Kashmir (UT), have notified that they would be levying only 1% user charges on the produce brought to their mandi yards while adhering to the new norms under the ordinance. On the other hand, Punjab, which had been levying 2% market fees and 2% RDF, needs to immediately take a decision on the issue,” said Mr. Ashok Sethi, director, Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association.
