Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, addressed a national workshop today to highlight significant achievements and future prospects of the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). As of August 31, 2023, a total of 1361 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) have successfully integrated into e-NAM, spanning 23 states and 4 union territories. This integrated platform facilitates the trading of 209 different commodities, offering multifaceted benefits to farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), buyers, and traders.
In his address, Secretary Ahuja emphasized the importance of providing timely and accurate information to all stakeholders involved in e-NAM transactions. He stressed that information regarding the quality of produce is just as crucial to buyers as commodity prices are to sellers. Ahuja asserted that optimizing the entire agricultural value chain and reducing wastage are essential from an economic perspective.
To further bolster e-NAM’s reach and impact, 28 new mandis have received approval for integration, bringing the total number of mandis on the platform to 1389.
Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary, Marketing Division, M/o Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, also addressed the audience, highlighting the upcoming e-NAM 2.0, which will be an advanced version of the existing platform. Kidwai underscored the significance of reforms in state acts for the success of e-NAM 2.0.
The workshop 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 of using the e-NAM platform, with trade volumes of Rs 1.25 Crore, Rs 1.44 Crore, and Rs 2.68 Crore, respectively.
The event was attended by senior officials from private organizations, banks, commodity exchanges, State Agriculture Marketing Boards, and the Department of Marketing and Inspection, all contributing to the success of e-NAM 2.0 and agricultural reforms.
Background:
The National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a nationwide electronic trading portal launched on April 14, 2016, by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It connects existing APMC mandis, creating a Unified National Market for agricultural commodities. Managed by the Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, e-NAM has revolutionized APMC operations through technology interventions, including digital weighbridges, advanced assaying equipment, real-time price information, online auctions, transparent payments, and overall digitalisation, enhancing efficiency in mandi operations.