Mumbai - The Abhijit Sen Committee, which was constituted to study the effects of futures market on agriculture commodities, is expected to submit its to the Central government by the end of this month or early next month. Sources said that the Committee, which was given enough time for the job, may not delay the report further.

Sources said, the main objective of the Committee is to device the ways as how to extract benefits from futures trading for farmers. For this, the Committee may recommend re-starting of trading in those commodities, which have been banned by the Central government from futures trade. Such commodities include wheat, urad and tur. The Sen Committee may also recommend formation of a national commodity exchange for taking maximum benefits to farmers.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while presenting the annual general budget of 2007-08, had announced the constitution of a five-member committee, headed by Planning Commission member Prof Abhijit Sen, to study the effects of futures trading in essential goods in the country. At that time, the Central government had asked the committee to submit its report within two months. However, the committee was later given a few extensions in time to complete the study.

Meanwhile, on the directives from the Forward Market Commission [FMC], the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange [NCDEX] has decided to lift extra margins from the futures of black pepper, jeera, chana, guar gum, guar seed, red chilli, mentha oil and maize. The decision will be effective from December 24, 2007.