There is also a point of view that Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) set up under the State Acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.

Theme

T139 Agricultural marketing & supply chains: APMC, intermediaries

What UPSC asks in this theme

Repeated: inefficiency of agri marketing, supply chain management, upstream and downstream bottlenecks, transport and marketing constraints, supermarkets cutting intermediaries, and whether APMCs caused food inflation.

What to cover

• APMC system and model APMC Act
• e-NAM, FPOs
• Cold chain and storage gaps
• Supermarkets, contract farming, e-commerce

Writing the answer

• Problem → reforms; cite e-NAM data

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 6 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.