The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved the integration of 28 new wholesale mandis (market yards) into the electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM). This decision, announced by Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja, will take the total count of mandis on eNAM to 1,389 across the country.
As of August 31, 2023, 1,361 regulated mandis spanning 23 states and four Union Territories were already linked to eNAM, which was launched on April 26, 2016. The eNAM platform serves as a pan-India electronic trading portal, aimed at creating a Unified National Market for agricultural commodities.
Ahuja highlighted the importance of providing timely information to all stakeholders involved in eNAM transactions, emphasizing the need to eliminate information asymmetry. He underscored that information regarding the quality of produce is just as crucial for buyers as the prices are for sellers.
The launch of e-NAM 2.0 is expected to bring much-needed reforms in the agricultural marketing sector in India. It will help farmers get better prices for their produce and reduce wastage.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, elaborated on the forthcoming e-NAM 2.0, describing it as an advanced version of the existing platform. Kidwai emphasized that the success of e-NAM 2.0 will heavily depend on the reforms in the State Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Acts.
The workshop also featured presentations by three Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): Churchu Nari Urja FPCL from Jharkhand, Maangani City Consortium from Tamil Nadu, and Jaivik Shri FPCL from Koraput, Odisha. These FPOs shared their experiences of using the eNAM platform.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare aims to launch e-NAM 2.0 by the end of November. This updated version will seek to address various hurdles and encourage increased participation from both buyers and sellers. The success of e-NAM 2.0 is expected to be closely tied to reforms in the State APMC Acts.
