AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE MARKET COMMITTEE,

ESTABLISHMENT :-

The Agricultural Market Committee, Unjha is established on Dt. :- 23-10-54 ( 1954-55 )

under the Bombay Agricultural Produce Act -1939 ( Bombay XXII ) for the better regulation
of purchase and sale of Agricultural Commodities in Market area.

There are 26 villages of Unjha Taluka in the market area of this Committee and Unjha is
declared as principal Market Yard in the Market area. Arrivals of Agricultural Commodities in
Unjha Market Yard is from 300 KM radius i.e. Mehsana Dist., Sabarkantha Dist.,
Banaskantha Dist., Saurashtra, Kutch and Rajasthan in the Market area to extend sale and
purchase facilities.

“ 27 ” Agricultural Commodities Viz. Jeera ( Cumin ), Variali ( Fennel Seeds ) Issabgul,

Sarsav, Raido ( Mustard ), cartor seeds, Till, Groundnut, Asalio, Rajgaro, Fenugreek, Moong,
Math, Udad, Gram, Tur, Val, Chola, Guwar, Wheat , Bajari, Juvar, Chino, Kalingada-Bij,
Cotton, Coriander Seeds, Vegetables & Fruits, Suwa ( Dill Seed ) Ajmo ( Ajwain Seed ) in
the Market Area.

OBJECT :-

The Object of Market Act. Is to regulate the Market for protecting Agriculturist sellers by
cash and kind to establish modern Market Yard with required facilities for producers and
traders.

CONSTITUTION OF MARKET COMMITTEE :-

The Market Committee is constituted of 17 members, i.e. 8 ( Eight ) Agriculturists, 2 (TWO)

Member from Co. Op. Sale Society, 4 ( Four ) Traders, 1 (One ) Local authority and 2
( Two ) Government nominees. These 17 Members elect one of them as Chairman and a
Vice Chairman every two years, State Government nominates the first Committee and there
after it comes through election at every four years.

The Committee appoints Secretary and necessary staff under the approval of the director of
Agricultural Marketing & Rural finance, Gujarat State , Gandhinagar, who is the executive
Authority of the Act.

IMPORTANCE OF UNJHA MARKET :-

Unjha Market Yard is one of the biggest regulated Market and it is well known commercial
centre throughout India for its trade of Jeera ( Cumin ) , Variali ( fennel ), and Isabgol and
Raido ( Mustard Seeds ) crops of jeera, Variali, and Isabgol is only possible in Gujarat ,
Rajasthan and some areas in iron. The crop of jeera particularly of North Gujarat is superior
in quality and hence there is great demand from all over India and foreign countries also.

Unjha is natural assembling and exporting centre for Agricultural Commodities of North
Gujarat. There are 800 big business firms in this town which export Jeera, Variali, Oil Seeds,
Pulses and Isabgul to nearly 1500 centres of India & foreign countries every year.

This market is also important for crushing and grinding of oilseeds, pulses, isabgul coriander
seeds and kalingada-bij etc. There are 6 oil mills, 5 Pulse mills, 4 Sat Issabgul factories, 27
cleaning factories for Jeera, Variali and other spices, 6 Kalingada-bij factories & 5 Coriander
seeds factories in Unjha.

Thus Unjha is natural assembling and exporting centre of Agricultural Commodities

FACILITIES OF THE MARKET :-

Unjha Market is situated on the main line of the Western Railway Ahmedabad- Delhi state
Highway is also passing through the outskirts of this town. There is a Post office telegraphs
and telephones services, 17 Banks and sub treasury, State warehouse. Thus Unjha Market
has all the modern facilities of transports Communication, Banking and Storage etc. for the
trade.

PROGRESS IN THE REGULATION OF THE MARKET :-

Before the application of the Act Unjha Market was unregulated and it was running on own
accord of traders. Facilities of open auction ( Sale ) standard weightment, cash payment
protection from malpractice ' s and amenities were not provided to agrits sellers by any
way.

After the application of the Act. The Market Committee has introduced the following main
features of regulation.

Method of Sale :-

The Agricultural Commodities brought for the sale in the Market Yard are arranged in open
heaps in the plots allotted to general commission agent and heaps are sold through open
auction conducted by the paid auctioneers of the Committee. The details of the sale is noted
by auction clerks on the same time. This detail is useful for the solution of disputes.

Sieving & Delivery :-

After auction all the produce is sieved for minimizing adulteration and for improving
Agricultural Commodities. According to the serial order of the delivery of the produce is
taken in the Market Yard on the place of auction by standard weights and in standardized on
the spot i.e. real weight is given.

Cash Payment :-

After taking the delivery of the produce a cash memo is prepared by the general
commission agent or purchaser and one copy of memo is given to the seller with cash
payment another to Market Committee and copy is kept for his own record. Thus cash
payment is introduced in all the work of sales delivery & payment is finished on the same
day of arrivals & the commission agent prepares a sale slip in triplicate, one copy given to
purchaser, one given to Market Committee with Market fees and one for his own record and
recover the value of sale from the purchaser next day with Market fee.

Market Charges :-

The old practices of Market charges in cash and kind have been abolished and the Market
Committee has fixed prescribed new Market charges for the purchasers and sellers not from
the farmers.
 DISSEMINATION OF PRICES :-

Daily prices and arrivals of the Market is published on notice board and broadcasted on
Radio amplifier in the Market Yard at a time and also published in all the leading news
papers of Gujarat & the prices of important Commodities are daily broadcasted from All
India Radio, Baroda centre.

SITE OF UNJHA MARKET YARD AND SUB-YARD :-

The present site of Unjha Market Yard is between Unjha town and railway station with an
area of acres 36.37 G. having all necessary facilities. Due to heavy arrivals of regulated
Commodities at Unjha Market Yard, Market Committee, Unjha has purchased acres 45.15G.
of the land at Unava Village ( 5 kms. Away from Unjha on highway ) for sub-market Yard
and has prepared a layout plan with all necessary modern facilities 416 Office-Cum-
Godowns estimated at a cost Rs. 5 crores . 33 Vegetables shops, 2 rural godowns facility in
sub yards Unava.

As per Government of Gujarat Agriculture co-operation and Gram development section,

Gandhinagar vide their order serial No. G.H.K.H-9 / 97 / APMC / 1197 / 1076 / G-26 Dated
31/01/97 , the APMC, Unjha and APMC, Unava has been separated and given its own
identity.

AARIVALS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN MARKET :-

The arrivals of regulated Agricultural Commodities in Unjha Market Yard is increasing every
year due to better facilities of purchase & sale in Unjha Market Yard. Farmers of Gujarat and
Rajasthan are coming to Unjha Market Yard to sale their Jeera, variali, Issabgul,etc. The
year wise arrivals of Agricultural Commodities are given as under :-

Year Total Sake Valuvation Price (Rs)

Qtls.
1999-00 2346002 7943980900
2000-01 2316594 8063770445
2001-02 2632998 8222030320
2001-03 2543442 8117939900
1/10/03 to 31/03/04 846093 2576223190

FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE MARKET COMMITTEE :-

The sources of income of the Market Committee is licensee fees from purchasers. The
figures of yearly expenditure and surplus are as under :-

Year Income Expenditure Surplus

1999-00 60480211-96 21532897-78 38947314-18
2000-01 59330606-65 24985039-56 34345567-09
2001-02 62384557-37 35858338-47 26526218-90
2001-03 57644750-00 37497451-00 20147298-00
1/10/03 to 31/03/04 30793857-00 17912675-00 12881182-00
 NO. OF LICENSEE, LICENSEE FEES AND MARKET FEES :-

The no. of licensee, licensee fees and market fees are as under :-

Year No. of Licensee Licensee Fees Rs. Market Fees Rs.

1999-00 3157 155736/- 38839544-08
2000-01 3690 162345/- 38372284-09
2001-02 4414 169653/- 40354786-22
2001-03 3600 158183/- 40555449-86
1/10/03 to 31/3/04 2514 144654/- 12676663-00

The Permanent fund as on Dt. 31-03-04 is Rs. 25,50,79,315-00 Paise.

DEVELOPMENT OF MARKET YARD AND AMENITIES PROVIDED :-

To create modern Market on the present site of Acres 36.37 G. at Unjha the Market
Committee has allotted (1) 176 plots each of 105 ' x 18 ' for Office – Cum- Godowns. (2) 52
plots of Godowns each of 65 ' x 16 ' (3) Plus 54 plots for office- Cum – Godowns each of
different size for the licensed traders to construct Office-Cum-Godowns at their own cost.
Moreover Market Committee has constructed 133 Office- Cum- Godowns at the cost of Rs.
75 Lakhs have been given to licensed traders at the reasonable rent. This way the plot of
Office-Cum-Godowns given to the traders are helpful in solving problem of storage of
Agricultural Commodities and avoid compulsory sale of Agricultural Commodities. It solves
many problems of Marketing and Market Committee can control effectively.

QUALITY TESTING LABORATORY AT APMC, UNJHA :-

In the APMC General Body meeting held on 18-08-1999 , a resolution No. 1 was passed
unanimously to provide building, furniture and staff for setting up of a laboratory in the
APMC Yard , Unjha. Finally, a MOU has been signed on 01-02-2000 between the APMC,
Unjha and the Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
Accordingly, the Spices Board will purchase and provide equipments with an approximate
total cost of Rs. 7.25 lakhs for setting up of the Quality Testing Laboratory.

A Chemist has been appointed and he has sent to Cochin for one week ' s Training
programme in the sophisticated laboratory of Spices Board, Cochin . Most of the
work of the laboratory is over and it will start functioning soon for the benefit of
the farming / trading communities.

Thus Unjha Market Yard is progressing towards ideal and perfect Market with all
the amenities and requirements of the Agricultural Marketing. This way the Unjha
Market Yard and Unjha town are well developed in last 35 years. With all required
facilities for the purchasers & sellers associated a Agricultural Commodities will be
definitely provide tremendous boost to Agricultural Marketing.