Why in the News?

The Agriculture Ministry has allowed trading of 10 additional commodities on the electronic-National Agriculture Market (E-NAM), taking the total number of tradable items on the platform to 231.

About the 10 new commodities:

The newly added commodities include dried Tulsi leaves, Besant (Chickpea flour), wheat flour, chana sattu (Roasted Chickpea Flour), water Chestnut flour, asafoetida, dried fenugreek leaves, baby corn, dragon fruit and water Chestnut, the ministry said in a statement.

Current Status of E-NAM (As of December 2024):

1,410 mandis connected across 22 states and Union Territories.
Inter-state trade worth ₹5,022 crore has been recorded.
₹6,831 crore e-payments made across 948 mandis.
Trade in 1.44 lakh metric tonnes of grains and 3.4 crore units of perishable commodities such as bamboo, betel leaves, coconuts, and lemons.

What is E-NAM?

E-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading platform launched by the Government of India on April 14, 2016.
It integrates existing Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
The Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, is the implementing agency for e-NAM.
The platform enables farmers, traders, and buyers to trade agricultural commodities online, across states, ensuring better price discovery and transparency.

Objectives of e-NAM

Improve market efficiency by integrating APMC mandis into a unified online platform.
Enhance price discovery through a competitive bidding process, ensuring fair market prices for farmers.
Promote inter-state trade by removing barriers and unifying agricultural markets across India.
Reduce dependency on middlemen, ensuring direct benefits to farmers.
Facilitate e-payments to ensure quick and transparent financial transactions for farmers.

What is E-NAM 2.0?

E-NAM 2.0 is an upgraded version of the Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), launched to improve inter-state agricultural trade, logistics, and digital accessibility for farmers.
It integrates logistics service providers, allowing farmers to sell produce directly from their farms using a farm-gate module.
Key features include real-time price discovery, Aadhaar-based e-KYC, warehouse-based trading, and direct online payments.
The platform enhances transparency, efficiency, and access to a nationwide market, reducing dependence on middlemen.
It aims to boost farmer incomes, minimize wastage, and create a unified digital agricultural ecosystem across India.

PYQ:

[2017] What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the ‘National Agriculture Market’ scheme?

It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.
It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

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