e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) is a pan-India electronic trading portal launched by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Govt of India, to facilitate farmers, traders, buyers, exporters and processors with a common platform for trading commodities. It currently links 250 APMCs (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees) from across 10 states.The Portal is managed by Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) appointed by the Ministry in association with a group of strategic partner selected for the purpose. Traders and exporters need to get themselves registered with the portal to access its services. 69 commodities including staple food grains, vegetables and fruits are currently listed in its list of commodities available for trade.
Objectives
A national e-market platform for transparent sale transactions and price discovery initially in regulated markets. Willing States to accordingly enact suitable provisions in their APMC Act for promotion of e-trading by their State Agricultural Marketing Board/APMC.
Liberal licensing of traders / buyers and commission agents by State authorities without any pre-condition of physical presence or possession of shop /premises in the market yard.
One license for a trader valid across all markets in the State.
Harmonisation of quality standards of agricultural produce and provision for assaying (quality testing) infrastructure in every market to enable informed bidding by buyers. Common tradable parameters have so far been developed for 25 commodities.
Single point levy of market fees, i.e on the first wholesale purchase from the farmer.
Provision of Soil Testing Laboratories in/ or near the selected mandi to facilitate visiting farmers to access this facility in the mandi itself. M/s. Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. is the Strategic Partner (SP) who is responsible for development, operation and maintenance of the platform. The broad role of the Strategic Partner is comprehensive and includes writing of the software, customizing it to meet the specific requirements of the mandis in the States willing to integrate with NAM and running the platform.
Implementation Agency.
Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead promoter of NAM. SFAC is a registered society of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare. SFAC through open tender selects a Strategic Partner (SP) to develop, operate and maintain the NAM e-platform. SFAC implements NAM with the technical support of SP and budgetary grant support from DAC&FW. DAC&FW meets the expenses on software and its customization for the States and is providing it for free. DAC&FW is also giving a grant as one time fixed cost up to Rs.30 lakhs per Mandi (other than to the private mandis) for installation of the e-market platform. Around 6500 APMCs operate throughout the country of which 585 district level mandis in States/UTs desirous of joining are planned to be linked by NAM. 400 mandis are planned to be integrated by March 2017 and the remaining by March 2018.
