Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has called for reforms in agricultural marketing to enable farmers get best prices for their products. Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry in New Delhi yesterday, he said farmers, specially small and marginal, are unable to take advantage of the present scheme and often have to resort to distress sale.

The Minister added that access to safe and scientific storage facility, coupled with efficient credit is the solution.He said that the prevailing system of regulated markets under the Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act, 2003, was a constraint on the farmers’ ability to sell their produce at best prices.The Minister said a large number of intermediaries and huge transaction costs such as market fee and entry tax make marketing reforms a priority.