Why in the news?

  • The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has expanded the ambit of e-NAM by adding nine new commodities taking the total number of commodities under e-NAM to 247.

National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)

  • What is it?: It is a central sector scheme launched in 2016 as a pan-India electronic trading portal that connects existing agricultural produce market committees (APMCs) to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
  • Implementation: Implemented by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
  • Key Features:
    • Unified Market Platform: A common online trading portal accessible to all APMC mandis connected under e-NAM.
    • Inter-State Trade: Allows farmers to sell produce to buyers across states (One Nation, One Market).
    • Quality Testing: Assaying facilities for quality grading and price linkage to quality parameters.
    • Payment System: Integrated with electronic payment options through BHIM, UPI, RTGS/NEFT.
    • Single trading license valid across all e-NAM mandis within a state.
    • Logistics Support: e-NAM platform linked to warehousing and logistics providers for storage and transport.
    • Farmer Facilitation Centres: Provide training, internet access, and handholding to farmers for digital trading.
  • e-NAM 2.0:
    • Integration with Platform of Platforms (PoP) in 2023 to link e-NAM with private agri-marketplaces, FPO platforms, warehousing, and e-commerce players.
    • AI-enabled Market Intelligence System for real-time price analytics.
    • “Kisan Rath” app integration for transport logistics.
    • e-Negotiation Module for bulk buyers and exporters.
    • Blockchain pilots in commodity tracking for transparency.
  • Advantages of e-NAM:
    • Farmers receive better price realization due to competitive bidding.
    • Promotes uniformity in agricultural marketing across states.
    • Reduces role of middlemen and malpractices in auctions.
    • Enables data-driven policy through digital trade records.
    • Strengthens Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives in agriculture.
  • Challenges:
    • APMC Act variation among states delays full integration.
    • Digital divide and poor internet access in rural areas.
    • Limited awareness and training among small farmers.
    • Inadequate assaying and grading infrastructure.
    • Low share of inter-state trade despite potential.
  • Way Forward:
    • Uniform agri-marketing reforms across all states.
    • Strengthen digital literacy & infrastructure in rural mandis.
    • Incentivize FPO participation and private sector linkages.
    • Enhance assaying, warehousing, and logistics connectivity.
    • Integrate e-NAM with agri-export hubs and AgriStack data ecosystem.