Center to invite bids for national agri market platform

Agriculture Ministry will soon float a tender inviting IT firms to set up an online platform for proposed national agriculture market that seeks to integrate 585 wholesale markets across India.
In July this year, the Cabinet had approved the setting up of an online national agriculture market that will provide more options to farmers for selling their produce and also allocated Rs 200 crore for its establishment.
Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) will float the tender.
"This will be a game changer step in agriculture sector of the country. It will break down trade barriers between APMC mandis within a state," Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussain told PTI.

He said that farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country from his own location.
"We are working for such a platform that will be of great help to farmers in getting decent remuneration for their produce," Hussain added.

He also informed that as many as ten states including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jharkhand have come on the board for this plan.
An amount of Rs 100 crore has already been allocated in current year's budget which is being used for the development of this platform.
Meanwhile, Karnataka government has formed a similar online agriculture market. Agriculture Ministry has also organised a seminar there of all state agriculture ministers to showcase the working of this platform.

Currently, farmers are restricted to selling their produce at mandis or market committees that charge various taxes.
As per the proposal, an agency would also be set up to oversee online trading and to ensure that transactions take place smoothly.
There are also plans for creating godowns and facilitating transportation of the farm produce to support the online trade.
The move is expected to give choice to farmers to sell their produce both in physical mandis or online platform. The easy access to sell via online trade is likely to boost their incomes and improve availability, moderating price rise.