LAHORE: The Punjab government has recently constituted a sub-committee under the Agriculture Commission, a component of the Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan Package, to pinpoint existing flaws in the Agriculture Marketing Information System (AMIS) and to improve monitoring of daily agriculture produce prices in markets to minimise the exploitation of growers.

Besides Dr Ali Cheema of the LahoreUniversityofManagement Sciences (LUMS), the convener of the sub-committee, there are nine more members, including academicians, agriculture officials, members of farmer associa-tions and progressive farmers, says a notification issued on Nov 7.

As per the terms of reference of the sub-committee, the members will review the marketing system, conduct analysis and consult stakeholders on agriculture marketing.

They will also chalk out directions for agricultural marketing system/ policy.

They will also deliberate on implementation of electronic commodity warehouse exchange supply chain, model agriculture markets, incentivisation of major and alternative crops, suggest improvement in existing marketing laws/ marketing divisions, devise a strategy for certification and quality regime, chalk out a plan for modern/model markets infrastructurewith modern weighing systems and online information system to support buyers, sellers and exporters.

The committee shall be supported by the marketing wing of the Agriculture Department. It shall meet on a regular basis and may co-opt any other member and shall submit its report within two months.

Farmers Associates Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Afag A Tiwana, one of the members of the sub-committee, says though another committee has been constituted for reforms in the agriculture marketing system but past experiences suggest that the decisions of such committees are never implemented by the governments.He says the current system of AMIS working in 135 market committees in the province to ensure fair price of farmers` produce is not efficient.

Mr Tiwana says the exploitation of farmers at agriculture markets starts from commission agents and stretches to food and agriculture department officials and district machinery.

He says he will attend at least the first meeting of the sub-committee to see if the government is serious about its intentions.

Mr Tiwana is of the view that the agriculture marketing wing officials get their salaries from the income generated from market committees and it is apparently difficult for them to stop exploitation of farmers.