BCCL
The success of any free market depends on free and fair flow of information. The farmer has the option to choose a buyer but how will he/she know what a fair price is.
In April 2016, the government inaugurated what is called e-NAM, an online platform that connects all APMC markets for better price discovery. However, reports, as well as anecdotal evidence, suggest that it has not been widely adopted by farmers yet. There needs to be a coordinated effort to increase awareness and ease of access to e-NAM to ensure that the latest reforms are successful.
Indeed, the APMC mandis were not filled with good samaritans and neither is the MSP religiously enforced everywhere. But while taking the control away from these agents, the government must also ensure that the gap is filled with foolproof mechanisms to ensure timely payments to farmers to avoid any cash crunch.