Ref:TFMA/Agri/2023-24/No.0283 02.01.

2024

To

Thiru.M.K.Stalin, Thiru.M.R.K. Pannerselvam,

Hon'ble Chief Minister,
Government of Tamilnadu,
Chennai.
Selvi Apoorva, IAS
Agricultural Production
Commissioner and Principal
Secretary to Government,
Chennai.
Hon'ble Minister for Agriculture
and Farmer's Welfare,
Chennai.
Dr S. Natarajan, IAS.,
Directorate of Agricultural
Marketing and Agri Business,
Chennai.

Sir.
Greetings,
Our Association's Suggestions and Recommendations for the
upcoming 2024-25 Agricultural Budget Report

On behalf of Tamilnadu Government & Central Government, if at all

any meeting is covened regarding Goods and Service Tax Act, Food
Safety and Standards Act or Agricultural Produce Market (Regulation)
Act, 1987 until past few years our association will get invited. But after
the new Government came into power, we were invited only for the pre-
budget advisory meeting. After that we have not received any invitation
for the other meetings. But certain associations and trade organization
who doesn't have full knowledge about the act and subject were invited,
and we regret this.

On behalf of our association, for the well being of our agriculturists and
traders, for the upcoming 2023-24 agriculture budget we would like to
consider our following suggestions.
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1. Under Tamilnadu Agricultural Produce Market (Regulation) Act,

1987 We are continuously insisting on our just demands. Our
government has brought constructive changes in all departments,
hence in all departments the trade and business are happening
smoothly. But the permit system which is no longer practiced in
any department is still followed in the regulated markets of the
market committee act. When we are in computer age, the
government should announce immediately that there is no need of
this permit system. Moreover our longtime genuine demand for
not to levy market cess fees for business transactions outside the
notified market area. At this point of time in our State Tamilnadu
at majority of places we get information that during the night, the
transporting vehicles along with goods are stopped by the low level
authorities and fake officials and are insisting on bribe.

In this department which fetches only 100 crores revenue yearly,

the government should remove the woes and take necessary steps
to announce corrective measures.

2. Different varities of agricultural produces are cultivated in

different parts of our state. To get maximum yield and safeguard
the crops the agriculturists are applying lot of fertilizers and
pesticides, hence the final agricultural produce are contaminated
with these agricultural inputs. In continuation to this, the small
level stakeholders who are producing final food products from
these agricultural produces are punished for the final products
not conforming the standards prescribed by the FSSAI. The
agricultural department authorities should conduct awareness
programmes to our agriculturists about the quantity and quality of
the agricultural inputs to change the above mentioned scenario.

3. Lot of agricultural produces cultivated in our country are exported

to other countries. But recently lot of countries are hesitant to buy
agricultural produces from our country, the reason being
excessive insecticide and perticidal residues. Hence the
agriculturists should be made aware of the agricultural inputs
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which will facilitate our exports. The agriculturists will get better
revenue for their produces, lot of people will get employment and
business of stakeholders who process, pack and sell their foods
products will flourish.

For Eg. in a agricultural land, if chillies are cultivated after a

cotton crop. The residue of the insectides, pesticides and fertilizers
will remain in the soil which will affect the chillies crop also
meaning the chillies will have excess residue due to the earlier
crop. Hence the stakeholders who process chillies into chillie
powder are punished for excessive pesticidal and chemical
residues for no fault of theirs. They don't do any wilfull
adulteration.

Arab Countries were importing cardamom from our country till

recently. But now they have stopped importing from our country
reason being excessive pesticide or insecticidal residue. If the
authorities urge the spices board to conduct awareness
programmes to the agriculturists cultivating cardamom regarding
application of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides then again it
will facilitate our exports and increase the forex reserve of our
country.

We request your goodself to call us for discussion regarding

Tamilnadu Agricultural Produce Market (Regulation) Act, 1987
and Market Committee Cess Fees.

Thanking you,
With kind regards,

(S.V.S.S.Velshankar) (S.Sai Subramaniam) (S.P.Jeyapragasam)

President Honorary Secretary Honorary Advisor