Unjha not to be part of national agri market

Cites lack of capabilities to maintain the flow of commodity arrivals to put them online

Asia’s biggest jeera (cumin seed) trading market at the Unjha Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Gujarat has refused to join the central government's online National Agricuktural Market (NAM), saying it lacks capability.

“Over 5,000 farmers from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh come to the Unjha APMC daily for sale of commodities, most of which is jeera. At the peak season, daily arrival of jeera reaches 100,000-150,000 bags. Sampling, lab testing and grading are not possible on such a huge quantity for us at this time. Hence, we have refused to go online under NAM,” said Gaurang Patel, chairman of the APMC.

Unjha is globally renowned as a jeera trading hub. Currently, about 20,000 bags of it arrive daily here. Other commodities such as fennel seed, coriander and isabgul also arrive in big quantities.

“We will join NAM in the near future, when the infrastructure will be strong enough to enable us to connect with the online platform, which could be in the second phase of NAM. If we connect without preparation, it will not fulfill the aim of NAM right now,” said Patel.

Seconding him is Mona Khandhar, secretary, agriculture and co-operation department in the state government. "We will add Unjha in the second phase, with required facilities for the online platform," she said.

As on date, three APMCs in Gujarat has joined the online platform — Patan, Botad and Himmatnagar. Ten more will be under NAM by the end of this month.

Another factor at Unjha is a fear among traders that they would lose their commission on sales, said an APMC official.