An expert committee, headed by Karnataka’s Agriculture Secretary, on the Market Yard of National Importance (MNI) platform, has submitted its report to the Centre, suggesting its implementation framework and also recommending a host of measures on building the necessary legal framework to make inter-State mandi (agri market yard) trade possible.

As the Centre felt more concerted intervention was needed for creating a larger reach for the farmer’s surplus produce through an efficient and seamless marketing system across the country for inter-mandi and inter-State trade, which the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) was not able to address, the expert committee was set up in April this year.

Members from State Agri Marketing Boards of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha and Bihar were the other members of the expert committee. Besides, there were also representative from Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), the agency entrusted with implementation of e-NAM and its strategic partner in the expert committee.

MNI platform

Though the achievement of e-NAM has been path-breaking in agri-marketing sector, a need was felt for obtaining a competitive price for the surplus produce of farmers which could be possible only through platform in inter-mandi and inter-State trading, officials said. Such a platform (MNI) is crucial and essential for efficient and seamless marketing system across India by promoting quality-based trading with a transparent price discovery mechanism, the officials said.

The government promoted e-NAM, launched in April 2016, has been able to connect 1,361 mandis in 23 States through the platform. Over 1.75 crore farmers and 2.45 lakh traders have been registered on e-NAM portal, where the total turnover has reached ₹2.79 lakh crore until July 3.

Sources said the MNI platform has been conceived as an alternative to e-NAM to foster competition. However, if the legal obstacles are removed in terms of bringing suitable changes in the state Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, even the inter-State trade in e-NAM platform can get a boost, sources said.

Reciprocity

The committee is believed to have suggested reciprocity between States to recognise registration of traders so that once a trader is registered on MNI, he may have freedom to buy from any State. Some experts are of the opinion that since to make that happen each State may have to amend their APMC law suitably, the benefit of it can be availed by any platform, be it MNI or e-NAM or the ones in private sector.

“However, if the MNI trade is confined to secondary trade, between traders, farmers may not be able to get the benefit as it will add to the cost of produce,” a state mandi Board official said.

The Centre has always been supporting the idea of strengthening APMCs and making them more transparent and competitive with the advent of new edge digital technologies by improving infrastructure and services offering to farmers, the Agriculture Ministry said.

“The committee has recommended the implementation framework of MNI platform, legal framework and inter-State reciprocity of license and movement, dispute resolution mechanism and rollout strategy. This platform will provide an opportunity to farmers of the participating States to sell their surplus produce beyond its State boundaries,” the ministry said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW