TRADE AND COMMERCE

REGULATED MARKETS

Within the purview of the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1939 are included various agricultural commodities which are prominent in the area where the Act is to be enforced. When the market is thus regulated, all transactions of sale and/or purchase of the commodities proposed to be regulated from a particular day are to be effected in the market yard under supervision of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee nominated for that purpose.

The Committee issues licences to local traders and classifies them into class 'A' and class 'B' traders. The former consists of those who are authorised to purchase in or outside the market yard while class 'B' consists of those who can purchase in the area outside the market proper and sell it on the market yard but who are prohibited from purchasing there (i.e., market yard). The Committee by issuing licences authorises some brokers or adatyas to carry business transactions in agricultural produce on commission basis. The sale is by open auction. The goods are usually stocked in heaps and adatya calls the prospective buyers and exhibits the commodity to be sold. The buyers go on bidding and if the highest bid is acceptable to the producer the auction is completed; if not. the auction is withheld. In order to avoid confusion on market yard, auction is held in order of arrival on the yard. A written agreement called kabulayat is entered into after completion of the auction and a copy is given to the seller, the representative of the Committee and the purchaser.

The auctioned commodity is weighed by licensed weighmen and the seller is given the price of his produce after deducting authorised and standardised commission charges of the adatya, weigh-man and the Committee.

Development of Regulated Markets.

History of the development of regulated markets in Jalgaon district can be traced as far back as 1925 when in pursuance of

the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture (1925), the then. Government of Bombay passed the Bombay Cotton Markets Act (XVII) of 1927. The sale of cotton at Amalner was regulated in September 1934 and that at Jalgaon market, in November 1938. This Act was replaced by the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1939, with a view to regulating the sale of all agricultural produce. In 1942, the markets at Amalner and Jalgaon were brought under the purview of this Act and in addition to the sale of cotton, the sale of groundnut shelled and un-shelled was regulated. The out-break of war prevented further implementation of the Act due to the imposition of various other control measures by the Government of India.

After the cessation of hostilities, the markets at Chalisgaon, Pachora and Chopda were declared regulated in 1945, 1946 and 1948, respectively, regulating the sale and purchase of cotton and groundnut. Bodwad market was regulated in 1952; Bhusawal in 1957: and Jamner, Raver and Edlabad in October 1957.

The commodities listed below were regulated up to 1958:—

Cereals —jowar. bajri and wheat.

Pulses—udid, mug, math, chola, tur and gram.

Spices—chillies and coriander.

Fibre—cotton (ginned and unginned).

Other commodities—gul.

Oil-seeds—groundnut.

Trade in live-stock has also been regulated in Chopda market. Proposals for regulation of live-stock at Amalner and Chalisgaon were submitted.

Almost all the markets except Jalgaon have their own site for market yards. The Amalner and Chalisgaon market yards are well-provided with an office building, canteen, warehouse, water arrangement, rest-house, sheds, etc. The market committees at Chopda, Pachora and Bodwad have obtained Government loans for developing their markets. The Jalgaon market yard has been further extended by the addition of land measuring 3 acres and 18 gunthas granted by the municipality.

The Jalgaon market has a voluminous cotton trade. It also commands a large volume of the coriander trade. The Bhusawal market also trades in cotton, though of a superior quality.

The following table shows comparative arrivals of the regulated commodities in this district during 1955-56, 1956-57 and 1957-58:—

TABLE No. 6

ANNUAL ARRIVALS IN CART-LOADS OF VARIOUS COMMODITIES AT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE MARKET COMMITTEES IN JALGAON DISTRICT (1955—1958)

TABLE No. 6—contd.

ANNUAL ARRIVALS IN CART-LOADS OF VARIOUS COMMODITIES AT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE MARKET COMMITTEES IN JALGAON DISTRICT (1955— 1958)—contd.

Jalgaon.

Jalgaon is the oldest regulated market in the district where a large volume of trade in agricultural commodities is handled. The commodities regulated at this market are cotton, groundnut, udid,mung, chillies, jowar. wheat, bajri, chavali, gram, tur; math, sesamum, coriander, linseed, kulthi, etc.

The market area covers Jalgaon and Erandol talukas, and there is a sub-market yard at Dharangaon. The market proper covers the area within the radius of five miles from the market yards at Jalgaon as well as at Dharangaon. The Jalgaon market yard is situated one furlong away from the railway station and a shed is constructed where transactions take place during rainy season.

It is one of the largest cotton markets in the district and the largest centre of coriander trade.

The following table gives the volume of business transacted at the Jalgaon market during 1956-57 and 1957-58:—

TABLE No. 7

VOLUME OF TRADE IN JALGAON MARKET DURING 1956—58

Bhusawal.

This market was brought under the purview of the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1939, from 31st October 1957. The Bhusawal market area constitutes the whole of Bhusawal revenue circle and some part of Yawal taluka. As the latter is not still served by a regulated market, it has developed connections with Bhusawal. The market yard covers an area of about 3 acres and 3 gunthas. The committee has its own office building and provides facilities such as fencing, sheds, drinking-water, lodging of carts, canteen, etc.

The market committee has adopted its own bye-laws with regard to its working with the approval of the Chief Marketing Officer and Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Maharashtra State. Poona.

The commodities handled on this market are cotton, groundnut, coriander, udid, mug, chavali, jowar and wheat. However, the market in cotton is prominent.

The following table shows the market charges levied in the market yard:—

MARKET CHARGES LEVIED IN BHUSAWAL MARKET

The table below gives the volume of business done by the Market Committee during 1957-58: —

TABLE No. 8

VOLUME OF TRADE IN BHUSAWAL MARKET (1957-58)

Chopda.

The Chopda market area embraces the whole of Chopda taluka. The market proper is within a radius of five miles with Chopda as centre. The sale and purchase of regulated commodities take place on the market yard at Chopda under supervision of the. Market Committee which consists of 15 members, of which 11 are elected representatives and the rest are Government nominees.

The commodities regulated are cotton, groundnut, black-gram (udid), math,. mug, sesamum, coriander, gram, chavali, jowar, bajri, wheat and cattle.

The Committee employs weighmen who are allocated to different traders and to different commodities in rotation to avoid foul ways.

The table below gives the volume of business done on the market yard during 1956—58—

TABLE No. 9

VOLUME OF TRADE IN CHOPDA MARKET DURING 1956—58

Pachora.

The commodities regulated at Pachora in 1958 were cotton, groundnut, udid, mug, sesamum, gul, math, castorseed, jowar, bajri, wheat, cattle, sheep and goats.

The marker yard at Pachora measures 11 acres. The area of operation of this market is comprised of the whole of Pachora taluka and the Bhadgaon peta.

The market is governed by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee.

There is a system of asking heaps of agricultural produce which are sold by open auction. The following figures show the market charges recoverable in respect of regulated commodities in the Pachora market: —

MARKET CHARGES LEVIED IN PACHORA MARKET

Facilities such as temporary sheds, fencing, electric fitting, water arrangements, canteen, etc., are provided by the market committee.

The table below gives the volume of business done by the market committee during 1956—58:- —

TABLE No. 10

VOLUME OF TRADE IN PACHORA MARKET DURING 1956—58

Amalner.

The commodities regulated at Amalner market are cotton, groundnut. mug, sesamum. udid, tur, math, castorseed. chillies, wheat, jowar. hajri and gram.

The market area covers the entire Amalner taluka. The area of the market yard is 14 acres and 21 gunthas. The Market Committee has its own office building. It has constructed a temporary shed. It provides facilities such as canteen, drinking-water, etc.

The table below shows the volume of business done by the Committee during 1956—58: —

TABLE No. 11

VOLUME OF TRADE IN AMALNER MARKET DURING 1956—58

*N.A.—"Not available".

Chalisgaon,

The commodities regulated at Chalisgaon market are cotton, groundnut, gul, mug, math, sesamum, castorseed, jowar, bajri, wheat, gram, tur, chavali, kulthi and chillies.

The market area covers the entire Chalisgaon taluka and there is a sub-market yard at Mehunbare.

The market committee has provided drinking-water, rest-room, a canteen, lighting and other facilities. There is a godown where a producer desiring to withhold his produce can keep it in the godown.

The table below shows the volume of business done on the market yard during 1956—58: —

TABLE No. 12

VOLUME OF TRADE IN CHALISGAON MARKET DURING 1956—58

Bodwad.

The Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Bodwad, was constituted in April 1951. However, the actual working commenced in February 1952.

The area of operation of this market covers three revenue circles, viz., Bodwad, Varangaon and Gotegaon.

The commodities in which trade is transacted on this market are cotton (ginned and unginnedy groundnut, jowar, wheat, bajri, udid, mug, tur, sesamum and chillies (wet and dry). Cotton is the most important commodity handled at this market.

The table below gives the volume of business done by the Market Committee during 1956-57 and 1957-58: —

TABLE No. 13

VOLUME OF TRADE IN BODWAD MARKET DURING 1956—58

Raver.

The Raver Market Committee was constituted in 1958. It uses the weekly bazar site as the market yard. The area of operation of this market covers Raver taluka. The important commodities handled at this market are cotton, groundnut, jowar, bajri, udid, mug, tur, coriander, etc.

Parola.

There is a sub-market yard at Parola. Land measuring 2 acres and 18 gimthas covers the market yard. The operation of this market extends over the Parola taluka. The commodities handled at this market are cotton, groundnut, jowar, bajri, wheat, wild, mug, tur, chavali, sesamum and castorseed.

The table below gives the volume of business done on the market during 1956-57 and 1957-58: —

TABLE No. 14

VOLUME OF TRADE IN PAROLA MARKET DURING 1956—58

Co-operativeMarketing.

In 1957-58, there were 28 co-operative marketing societies dealing in various commodities. The statement below shows the volume of work done by co-operative organisations operating in the regulated markets in 1957-58: —

TABLE No. 15

VOLUME OF WORK DONE BY CO-OPERATIVE ORGANISATIONS
IN JALGAON DISTRICT (1957-58)

Of the total produce marketed in 1957-58 in Jalgaon district, 12 per cent was dealt in by co-operative marketing societies, while the target during the Second Five-Year Plan was fixed at 30 per cent.

Efforts are being made to improve the economic position of the agriculturists by providing adequate finance through credit societies. In a detailed survey conducted under the auspices of the Co-operative Department, it was pointed out that the agriculturist should be assured fair prices for his produce and that adequate finance should be made available to him. In Jalgaon district, the work of linking credit with marketing has been undertaken by a few societies.

There are 17 cotton sale societies in this district of which 13 are operating in the areas served by regulated markets. They are distributed as follows: 3 in Chalisgaon taluka, 4 in Pachora, 3 in Jalgaon. 2 in Bnusawal and one each in Chopda, Parola, Jamner, Raver and Edlabad sub-divisions of the district.

There is a growing tendency amongst producers to sell the produce through co-operative societies. For instance, there are 13 cooperative societies selling bananas at Jalgaon, jamner, Shendurni, Bhusawal, Edlabad, Varangaon, Waghoda, Amoda, Amalner, Kajgaon. Parola, Chalisgaon, Nimbhora and Erandol. They account for one-third of the total export trade of bananas in this district.

The East Khandesh Central Co-operative Bank, which is the central financing agency of the district, has been playing a leading role in fostering the co-operative movement. It has started an adat shop in the Amalner market.

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