Inclusive agricultural produce definition upheld for timber brought into the market schedule by notification.

The Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 was construed to give an inclusive meaning to "agricultural produce," including items covered by the Schedule and commodities added by notification. The expression "or otherwise" was treated as an independent enlarging phrase, so ejusdem generis could not be used to narrow the statutory language. The State Government's power under Section 40 to notify additional commodities was upheld, and timber was treated as validly brought within the Schedule. Once the Act and notification covered the item, no separate enquiry was required into whether the commodity was itself agriculturally produced.

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Issues: Whether timber (Imarti Lakdi) could be treated as agricultural produce under the Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 and validly brought within the Schedule by notification issued under the Act.

Analysis: The definition of agricultural produce in Section 2(i) was held to be wide and inclusive, covering produce of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and other items specified in the Schedule. The words "or otherwise" were construed as an independent enlarging expression and not confined by the rule of ejusdem generis. Section 40 authorised the State Government to add items to the Schedule by notification, and timber was treated as a notified commodity within that delegated power. The Court further held that once the statute and notification brought the item within the Schedule, a separate judicial enquiry into whether the commodity was agriculturally produced was not warranted.

Conclusion: Timber could validly be included as agricultural produce under the Act, and the challenge to the notification failed.

Ratio Decidendi: Where a taxing or market-regulation statute uses an inclusive definition and expressly empowers the State to notify additional commodities in the Schedule, the notified item is governed by the statutory scheme and cannot be excluded by applying ejusdem generis to narrow the clear legislative language.

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