Centre plans to connect 585 agri markets under NAM by FY18

Eight states have shown interest in the scheme so far; 214 mandis to be linked by year end, allowing farmers to sell anywhere in the country

The Union government plans to connect 585 agricultural produce markets under its National Agriculture Market (NAM) initiative by March 2018, a senior minister said here today.

Speaking at the inauguration of Amaetheon, food and agri business summit at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Union Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said, "We have received proposals from eight states so far who want to connect their agriculture markets under the scheme. We have already released some funds for that, and by the end of this year, nearly 214 markets (mandis) would be connected to a common electronic platform which will allow farmers and traders to sell their produce to buyers anywhere in the country under the NAM initiative."

He further added that within March 2017, another 200 markets would be connected using the platform, and the target was to connect 585 markets by March 2018.

In July last year the Centre had approved setting up of an online national agriculture market that will provide more options to farmers for selling their produce. The Union Cabinet had approved the proposal to create a National Agriculture Market. The move is expected to give choice to farmers to sell the farm produce both in physical mandis or online platform.

Currently, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts in different states permit the first sale of crops to take place only in regulated market yards or mandis. This basically restricts the farmer to sell his produce to traders or commission agents licensed to operate in the area under a particular APMC.

Singh said that having an online trading portal where farmers can offer their produce to buyers anywhere, and also know about the prevalent prices of items in different markets would enable them to fetch better prices for their produce, thus empowering them. He also added that an agency would be set up to oversee online trading and to ensure that transactions take place smoothly.

Meanwhile, the government is focussing on organic farming initiatives. Groups of farmers would be motivated to take up organic farming under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster having 50 acre land to take up the organic farming under the scheme. In this way during three years 10,000 clusters will be formed covering 5.0 lakh acre area under organic farming. Singh informed that already 8,000 such clusters have been formed till December 31, 2015.