Expert panel on inter-state trade recommends legal framework for MNI

An expert committee set up to promote inter-mandi and inter-state trade through Market Yard of National Importance (MNI) has recommended the implementation and legal framework for the proposed platform.

The Centre constituted a high-level expert committee on April 21, 2023, to promote inter-mandi and inter-state trade through the conceptualisation and implementation of MNI.

The panel was chaired by Manoj Rajan, Special Secretary (Agriculture), Government of Karnataka with members from State Agri Marketing Boards of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha and Bihar.

Apart from state representatives, Director (Agriculture Marketing), DA&FW, GoI, Deputy AMA, DMI, representative from SFAC and Strategic Partner for e-NAM were also the members of the said committee.

The panel was assigned the task of recommending the framework for the implementation of MNI.

"On 4th July 2023, Chairperson of the Expert Committee has submitted a report of the Expert Committee on MNI platform. Aforesaid committee has recommended the implementation framework of MNI-P platform, legal framework & inter-state reciprocity of license and movement, dispute resolution mechanism, roll-out strategy etc," an official statement said.

This platform will provide an opportunity for farmers of the participating states to sell their surplus produce beyond its state boundaries, it added.

"This platform would enable to create digital ecosystems that leverage the expertise of various segments of agriculture value chain," the union agriculture ministry said.

The ministry said that the Centre has always been supporting the idea of strengthening Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and making them more transparent and competitive with the advent of new edge digital technologies through improving infrastructure and services offering to the farmers.

"e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) has come a long way since its launch in April 2016. So far, 1,361 mandis of 23 states and 4 UTs have been integrated to the e-NAM platform," it said.

As on July 3, 2023, more than 1.75 crore farmers and 2.45 lakh traders have been registered on the e-NAM portal. Trade worth Rs 2.79 lakh crore has been recorded on the e-NAM platform.

"Though 1,361 regulated markets have become a part of the e-NAM platform, a need has been felt for obtaining a competitive price, especially for surplus farmer produce inter-mandi and more importantly, inter-state trade is crucial...," it said.

The ministry said that it is essential that a more concerted intervention is needed for creating a larger reach for the farmer's surplus produce through an efficient and seamless marketing system across India by promoting quality-based trading with a transparent price discovery mechanism for inter-mandi and inter-state trade.