Farming Reforms - the lack of it (more precisely)

(collecting from FB)

Agriculture and allied sectors account for 50% of the workforce / population of India. How do you "control" such a big vote bank? Definitely not by allowing improvements in the quality of life... The traditional method has been to invest as little as possible into warehousing facilities which puts the farmer in a very pitiful situation, given a choice between cartelized / license-Raj afflicted APMC and rotting produce. The middlemen squeeze both ends of the supply chain and provide the political masters with the swelling coffers of the always welcome funds.

Little surprise that Mafia/Thugs/Builders/Middlemen are so closely associated with politics.

No bed of roses: Sachin Shewale, a farmer in Nashik, was forced to sell his produce at a low price to the traders' cartel, as he did not have proper storage facility. Photo by Janak Bhat

http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekSectionView.do?BV_ID=%40%40%40&categoryId=-208261&programId=1073755753&tabId=13

Also, good reads:
http://mrunal.org/2013/08/food-processing-nuisance-of-apmc-acts-commission-agents-marketing-of-agricultural-produce-issues-and-constrains-for-gs-mains.html

And

http://swapsushias.blogspot.in/2012/09/apmc-act.html?m=1