SHILLONG, July 24: United Democratic Party general secretary, Titosstarwell Chyne on Friday urged the state government to immediately operationalise the Meghalaya State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, stating that its effective implementation could provide a long-term solution to recurring market failures, as farmers across Meghalaya are grappling with a steep crash in the prices of agricultural produce, particularly cabbage.
Addressing reporters, Chyne expressed deep concern over the plight of farmers who have been forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices, distribute it free of cost or simply dump it due to the absence of an effective price protection mechanism.
“We have all seen reports and videos on social media showing farmers throwing away cabbage, radish and other vegetables because they are unable to get a fair price. This is not merely a market fluctuation but a serious crisis that requires immediate government intervention,” he said. The UDP leader noted that while the state government has already enacted the Meghalaya State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the legislation has largely remained unimplemented.
“We do not enact laws merely to keep them locked away in government offices. Every law passed by the Assembly must be implemented for the benefit of the people,” Chyne, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), said.
He said the legislation was specifically framed to protect the interests of farmers and livestock rearers by creating an organised agricultural marketing system capable of ensuring fair pricing and safeguarding cultivators from exploitation.
Referring to the provisions of the Act, Chyne said Chapter IV provides for the constitution of Market Committees, comprising representatives of farmers and other stakeholders, to regulate agricultural markets, oversee marketing practices and ensure transparency in the pricing of agricultural produce.
According to him, the Act also empowers the government to introduce a Minimum Support Price mechanism for agricultural commodities, enabling authorities to intervene whenever market prices collapse and prevent distress sales.
“The government already has the legal authority to fix prices for agricultural produce. What is required now is the political will to constitute the Market Committees and make the law functional so that farmers receive fair remuneration for their hard work,” Chyne said.
He urged the government to establish Market Committees in every district and major agricultural market to oversee price regulation, improve market management and protect cultivators from unfair trade practices.
He further called upon the KHADC to exercise powers vested in it under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Establishment, Management and Control of Markets) Regulation, 1979, as amended in 2021 and implemented through the Market Rules, 2024.
He said the amended regulation authorises the Council to constitute Market Committees for markets under its jurisdiction, which could help curb malpractices such as under-weighing of agricultural produce and arbitrary price manipulation by traders.
“The markets are under the jurisdiction of the KHADC through the Himas and Elakas, while the state government has the responsibility of implementing the 2020 Act. Therefore, both institutions must work in close coordination to protect the interests of our farmers,” he stressed.
Questioning whether the state government has constituted the Market Committees envisaged under the Act, Chyne urged authorities to immediately operationalise the statutory bodies to provide institutional support to farmers and ensure transparent market operations.
He maintained that the recurring collapse in vegetable prices has exposed the absence of an effective marketing and price support system, adding that unless the provisions of the 2020 Act are fully implemented, farmers would continue to suffer heavy losses and uncertainty every harvesting season.
“The farming community forms the backbone of Meghalaya’s rural economy. It is imperative that both the state government and the KHADC act decisively to ensure that farmers are protected from exploitation and guaranteed fair prices for their produce,” Chyne said.
