New Delhi: Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government will consider the demands of the farmers for level playing field between the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs) and private markets or trade area outside the APMCs and other issues in the farm laws.

Talking to the  reporters after fourth round of discussion between the Central government and representatives of farmers' organisations at Vigyan Bhawan here on Thursday, he said that the government is committed to protect the APMCs and consider the issues such as market fee, registration of traders so there should be similarity in the APMCs and trade areas outside the APMCs.

Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce laws, 2020 allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers' produce beyond the physical premises of APMCs and state governments are prohibited from levying any market fee or cess outside APMCs. This is the reason, farmers of Punjab are demanding to repeal this law as they fear that APMCs will collapse due to new farm act. He also assured the farmer leaders that the minimum support price will remain and hence the farmers should not fear that it will go away.

Minister of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Railways and Commerce Piyush Goel and Minister of State for Commerce Som Prakash and senior officials from the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of Food Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution were also present in the meeting joined by 40 representatives of farmers unions across the country.

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