OREANDA-NEWS. April 22, 2015. Recent steps taken by the Government to improve the availability and to contain prices of essential food items:

• Minimum Export Price (MEP) fixed for potatoes at USD 450 per M.T. w.e.f. 26.06.2014 (now withdrawn with improved availability and fall in prices w.e.f. 20.2.2015) and of onions at USD 250 per M.T. w.e.f 7.04.2015 respectively.

• States have been advised to allow free movement of fruits and vegetables by delisting them from the APMC Act.

• A Plan Scheme titled Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) with a corpus of Rs.500 crores has been approved for implementation aimed at regulating price volatility of agricultural and horticultural commodities both when there is price rise or vice-versa through procurement of farm produce, maintenance of buffer stocks and regulated release into the market.

• States have been advised to exempt levy of market fee on fruits and vegetables and to allow establishment of “KisanMandis”/ Farmers markets where producers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) can directly market their produce to wholesalers, organized retailers and ordinary consumers. Such alternative marketing channels promoted to reduce intermediaries and to contain marketing costs, are intended to benefit both farmers and consumers.

• Government is also encouraging production of horticultural crops through a Centrally Sponsored scheme, namely Mission for integrated Development of Horticulture w.e.f 2014-15.

• Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits in respect of onion and potato for a period of one year with effect from 3rd July, 2014 under the Essential Commodities Act.

• Government has approved the release of additional five million tonnes of Rice to BPL & APL families in states pending implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA).

• Advisory to State Governments issued to take action against hoarding & black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.

• Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits from time to time in the case of select essential commodities such as pulses, edible oil, and edible oilseeds for a period up to 30.9.2015.

• Based on interaction with the State Governments/UTs on 4th July, 2014, a decision has been taken to amend the Essential Commodities Act to make hoarding and black marketing a non bailable offence and increase the period of detention to one year from existing six months.

• The Government has approved for the current year i.e. 2014-15 Open Market Sale of ten million tonnes of wheat in the domestic market.

This information was given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.