New Delhi, July 29 (PTI): The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) has suggested a five-point agenda to deal with a growing imbalance between demand and supply in the agrarian sector and tackle issues related to inflation on a sustained basis.

The agenda includes increase in farm productivity, besides creating awareness among farmers about futures trading as an effective price discovery mechanism to help lower prices of essential commodities.

Ficci has also suggested making the country “one common market” and inviting private sector participation to develop agri-marketing infrastructure.

These will go a long way to ease price pressure. For the week ended July 14, the wholesale price-based inflation stood at 4.41 per cent against 4.27 per cent in the previous week.

The rise has been particularly marked in primary food articles — fruits, vegetables, ragi, wheat, jowar, condiments and spices.

Ficci said more emphasis should be put on increasing productivity levels in the agrarian sector, especially for essential products where demand was rising or would increase at a rapid pace.

A second green revolution should be initiated with a focus on increasing acreage, productivity and total production. In this, new hybrids with potential for more productivity and bundled services to farmers can be encouraged.

The chamber emphasised on the need to establish a common market for agri-products to ensure free functioning of market forces.

This will help remove price distortions in different regions.