REVISED SYLLABUS OF MARKET SECRETARY COURSE

Course content:

Chapter I:  Basic concepts of Agricultural Marketing:

            General background of Indian agriculture. Concept and importance of agricultural marketing, differences in marketing of agricultural and manufactured goods, marketable surplus, marketed surplus and their relationships, concept of prices and factor affecting prices, imperfections in the existing system, need for improvement, earlier approaches – the merits & demerits. Agricultural marketing in WTO regime.

 Chapter-II: Agricultural Marketing Functions, Practices:

      Classification of marketing functions, assembling, buying and selling, grading and standardization, packaging, transportation, storage and warehousing, processing, price discovery and price determination, market information, risk taking, financing, speculation, hedging. Marketing enterprises- private, cooperative, corporate, public, public private partnership (PPP), availability of facilitating marketing services – eg., market information service, Agricultural marketing  information network ( Agmarknet ), grading and standardization- role of DMI, BIS, ISO, NDDB, Codex Alimentarius Commission. Food safety - Codex standards, HACCP, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures in grading and standardisation, marketing of organic produce. PFA Act, AP(G&M) Act,  Weights and Measures Act, Consumer Protection Act ,The Indian Sale of Goods Act, ISO,TQM and market extension service.  Futures or forward trading- role of Forward Market Commission and Commodity Exchanges. E-trading, E-Chaupal.

Chapter-III :  Market Legislation:    

                  Need for regulation and its genesis, objectives of the market legislation, Classification of markets , study of important provisions of Agricultural Produce Market Acts of selected states, Rules and bye-laws. Comparative study of various provisions of different state APM(D&R) Acts. 

Chapter-IV: Agricultural Marketing Reforms:

                   Need for agricultural marketing reforms. Model Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, Model APM(D&R)Rules, establishment of markets in private sectors, co-operative sectors, contract farming  and direct marketing, central sector scheme for Development  / Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardisation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Chapter-V:  Organisation & Operation of Business in Agricultural Produce Markets:

        Declaration of market area, establishment of markets, constitution of market committee, functions, duties and powers of the market committee, its Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and other Sub-Committees, trading in notified agricultural produce, levy of market fee and market committee fund, preparation of annual budget, audit procedure, settlement of disputes. Procedure for filing court cases.

 Chapter-VI:  State Agricultural Marketing Boards / Directorate:

Role of State Agricultural Marketing Boards(SAMBs)/ Directorates, constitution of Marketing Board, power and duties of marketing board, marketing development fund, comperative study of composition and powers of SAMBs in different states, roles of State Agricultural Marketing Boards and vis-a-vis, State Agricultural Marketing departments in exercising regulatory and developmental functions. Activities of COSAMB, Commodity Boards/ Directorates.

Chapter-VII: Marketing of Agricultural Commodities:

Marketing of agricultural commodities e.g. cereals, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, tobacco, fruits and vegetables, covering aspects of production, assembling, grading and processing, utilization, storage, pricing, marketing channels and price spread.

 Chapter-VIII: Agricultural Price Policy:

Agricultural price policy in India, minimum support price programme of the Government of India, role of Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP). Role of marketing cooperatives, role of NAFED and other state agencies-FCI, JCI, CCI in undertaking the price support operations. Public Distribution System.

  Chapter-IX:  Management of Market:

          Principles and practices of office management, personnel management, leadership, public relations, motivation and financial management. Pre-planning surveys for scientific designing of market with modern infrastructural facilities and role of market manager in the planning process and collection of relevant information and data.

Chapter-X:  Developmental and Promotional Activities:

          Role of the Agricultural Produce Market Committees in development and promotion of modern marketing techniques, measures for increasing marketing efficiency through innovative and cost effective techniques, introduction and adoption of innovative post harvest management practices, supervision of grading at producers level before sale.      Provision of storage facilities and pledge finance, central sector scheme for construction / renovation of Rural Godown , mechanical cleaning, dryers and grading facilities, market information service.

 Chapter-XI:  Practical and field assignment:

            All India study tour to visit selected/model agricultural produce  market and evaluation of their  functioning, maintenance of arrival, price data, grading statistics, stocks, storage data and preparation of annual report, market fee, license fee,  market charges, income expenditure account. Visit to other institutions connected with agricultural marketing

          Market management : trainees are required to undergo market management training in a well-developed market for 3 days to get acquainted with various aspects of the functioning of the market.

         Practical : Analysis of food grains, principles of sampling, inspection, preparation of samples, analysis and grading of cereals (Rice and wheat), pulses for various quality parameters.