Punjab has notified new ad valorem market fees on the sale of 136 fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products traded in public markets.
The Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority issued the notification on August 13. It approved a new schedule of fees for agricultural produce sold through regulated public markets.
The fees will be levied and collected by Market Committees. The charges will be linked to the sale value of agricultural produce traded in public markets.
The notification sets different rates for individual crops and products. The rates have been determined using the five-year average market prices of the listed products.
For example, the market fee for Badana pomegranate has been set at 0.014 percent. Thailand ginger carries a rate of 0.020 percent.
Anwer Ratol mango has a notified fee rate of 0.041 percent. The rate for rapeseed is 0.043 percent, while lady finger carries a rate of 0.062 percent.
Green cardamom has one of the lowest rates in the schedule at 0.001 percent. Pistachios and almonds have also been assigned a rate of 0.002 percent.
The new schedule covers a wide range of agricultural products. These include fruits, vegetables, pulses, spices, nuts and dried products.
Commonly traded products such as potatoes, turnips, onions and peas are included in the notification. Chillies and rice are also covered under the new fee structure.
The schedule also includes higher-value products. These include saffron, cardamom, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and other dry fruits.
Importantly, the notification describes the charge as an ad valorem market fee. It is not a general tax directly imposed on farmers for bringing every crop to market.
Instead, the fee is linked to the sale value of agricultural produce transacted through public markets.
This means the amount payable will vary depending on the applicable rate and the value of the produce sold.
The new fee structure is intended to create a defined system for charging market fees on agricultural products traded through regulated markets.
Market Committees will be responsible for collecting the applicable charges according to the notified schedule.
The notification has been issued under Section 15E of the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority Act, 2018.
It also cites Regulation 25 of the Punjab Market Committees Regulations, 2026 as part of the legal basis for the new schedule.
The move provides a standardized fee structure covering a broad range of agricultural products traded across Punjab’s public markets.
The different rates reflect the varying market values of agricultural commodities. Higher-value products and commonly traded crops have been assigned specific rates under the notification.
The new system is expected to provide Market Committees with a clear framework for calculating and collecting fees on agricultural produce.
The notification also brings greater clarity to the charges applicable to different products in regulated public markets.
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