NEW DELHI, 25 September 2023: Manoj Ahuja, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, announced significant developments in India's agricultural trading landscape during a recent address. He revealed that as of August 31, 2023, a total of 1,361 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) were integrated into the Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) across 23 states and 4 union territories.
This integration facilitated trade in 209 different commodities and aimed to provide a wide range of benefits to farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), buyers, and traders using the e-NAM platform.
In a move to further strengthen e-NAM, Shri Ahuja disclosed that 28 new mandis have recently been approved for integration, increasing the total number of mandis on the e-NAM platform to 1,389. This expansion reflects the government's commitment to modernizing and streamlining agricultural trade in India.
Secretary Ahuja underscored the importance of providing key information to e-NAM stakeholders in a timely manner, emphasizing the need to eliminate information asymmetry. He stated that information regarding the quality of produce is as crucial to buyers as the commodity prices are to sellers.
Furthermore, Shri Ahuja emphasized the economic perspective, highlighting the need to optimize the entire agricultural value chain and reduce wastage. He commended the efforts behind organizing a workshop and praised the State Agriculture Marketing Boards from Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu for their presentations and for leveraging the workshop's platform for the benefit of all e-NAM stakeholders.
Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary of the Marketing Division at the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, addressed the audience and mentioned that e-NAM 2.0, an advanced version of the existing e-NAM, will be contingent on reforms in the state Acts. These reforms are expected to play a crucial role in the success of e-NAM 2.0.
The workshop also featured presentations by three Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): Churchu Nari Urja FPCL (Jharkhand), Maangani City Consortium (Tamil Nadu), and Jaivik Shri FPCL, Koraput (Odisha). These FPOs shared their experiences using the e-NAM platform and have collectively engaged in trades amounting to Rs 1.25 crore, Rs 1.44 crore, and Rs 2.68 crore, respectively.
The National Workshop on e-NAM 2.0 and Agricultural Reforms also drew participation from senior officials representing private organizations, banks, commodity exchanges, State Agriculture Marketing Boards, and the Department of Marketing and Inspection.
About e-NAM
The National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal launched on April 14, 2016, by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. e-NAM networks the existing APMC mandis and leverages available infrastructure to create a Unified National Market for agricultural commodities. The portal is managed by the "Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)" under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
e-NAM has introduced efficiency into APMC mandi operations through technology interventions, including accurate weighment via digital weighbridges and weighing scales, precise assaying via advanced assaying equipment, real-time online information on commodity prices, access to more buyers and sellers, and transparency in trade through online auctions. This has led to competitive bidding, improved price discovery, transparent payment processes, and overall efficiency in mandi operations through digitalization.
