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 are from 300 K.M. redius i.e. Mehsana Dist., Sabarkantha Dist., Banaskantha Dist., Saurashtra, Kutch and Rajasthan in the Market area to extend sale and purchase facilities.

"28" Agricultural Commodities Viz. Jeera (Cumin), Variali (Fennel Seeds) Issabgul, Sarsav, Raido (Mustard), Castor seeds, Till, Groundnut, Asalio, Rajgaro, Fenugreek, Moong, Math, Udad, Gram. Tur, Val, Chola, Guwar, Wheat, Bajari, Juvar, Chino, Kalingada-Bij, Cotton, Coriander Seeds, Suwa (Dill Seed) Ajmo (Ajwain Seed) in the Market area.

OBJECT

The Object of Market Act. Is to regulate the Market for protecting Agriculturist sallers 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 from either Agriculturists or Co. op. sale Society as Chairman and a Vice-Chairman every two and half 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 a well known commercial centre throughout India for its trade of Jeera (Cumin), Variali (Fennel Seeds), Isabgul 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 purticularly 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, Issabgul, Corianderseeds 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 Corianderseeds factories in Unjha.

FACILITIES OF THE MARKET

Unjha Market is situated on the main line of the Western Railway Ahmedabad-Delhi state highway - 41  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 auctioners of the Committee. The details of sale are noted by auction clerks on the same time. This detail is useful for solution of disputes.

Sieving and 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 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 & sallers 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 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 30.00 G. of Land at Brahmanwada Village (5 Kms away from Unjha on State Highway - 41) for sub-marketyard by concessional rate from Government of Gujarat and has prepared a lay-out plan and approved it by concerned authorities with all necessary.

Modern Facilities as below :

• Compound Wall with Gate (3 Nos.)
• Shop - cum - Godown (210 Nos.)
• Ware House - 3 Nos. (Each 5000 MT)
• Farmer Shed
• Loading Shed
• Auction Shed (7 Nos.)
• 100 MT Capacity Weigh Bridge
• Under Ground / Overhead Tank
• Pump Room
• R.O. Plant with Room
• Toilet Block with Water Stand - 6 Nos.
• Underground Electrification with Street Light
• R.C.C. Road
• Drying Area
• Tubewell
• Water Supply System
• Drainage System
• Storm Water Pipe Network
• STP Plant
• Fire Fighting System
• Percolation Well
• Office Building
• Farmer Canteen
• Farmer Guest House
• Trading Centre
• Assembly Hall
• Processing Plant
• Cold Storage
• Petrol Pump
• Parved Parking
• Public Announcing System
• C.C.TV Camera System
• Digital Rate Display

As per Government of Gujarat Agriculture co-operation and Rural Development Section, Gandhinagar vide their order serial No. G.H.K.H-9 / 97 / APM / 1194 / 1076 / G-26 Dated 31/01/'97, the APMC, Unjha and APMC, Unava has been separated and given it's own identity.

ARRIVALS 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.

The Permanent fund as on Dt. 31-03-’23 is Rs. 1,21,08,57,703/-

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 as per sale conditions approved by the Marketing department. These plots are allotted to 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 and have been given to licensed traders at the reasonable rent. This way the plot of Office - Cum - Godowns given to 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.

The Market Committee has also provided the permanent amenities like Guest House, Canteen, Water Works, Asphalt Road, Pipe Connection, Tower, Office Auditorium, Sanitary Blocks, Water Rooms, Water Tank, Water Coolers, Compound Wall, Tea Stall, Drainage, Radio - Amplifier and Loud speakers etc. at cost of about Rs. One Crore.

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 was 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 amenities and requirements of the Agricultural Marketing. This way the Unjha Market Yard and Unjha town are well developed in last 37 years. With all required facilities for the purchasers & sellers associated an Agricultural Commodities will be definitely provide tremendous boost to Agricultural Marketing.