APMCs welcome agri infra fund announcement February 01, 2021 With this, farmers are assured the set up of APMC won’t be pulled down Making available the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) for augmenting the APMCs infrastructure facilities in the Budget is being seen an long overdue reform by all the agricultural market participants. Director of Vashi APMC, Sanjay Pansare, said that the new and advance infrastructure is the need of the hour as most of the infrastructure at APMCs is at least 30 years old. A dedicated fund will help with faster creation of infrastructure at the APMCs. Policy dilly-dally Chairperson of Lasalgaon APMC, Suvarna Jagtap, said that earlier there was a perception that the Centre was keen on shutting down all the APMCs in the country. But today’s budgetary provision of creating an infrastructure fund points towards sustaining the APMCs. However, for major commodities such as onions a long-term policy is required. Unplanned decisions of the Centre such as export ban on onion and in a few months again reopening the market for exports is not got for the trade. Only a sustained and long-term policy will create good infrastructure in the APMCs. Today the APMCs need onion storage in line with the arrivals in the market, she said.