The success of the Centre’s plans to make changes in the electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM) in the next two months will depend on how early the states respond to the proposals by making suitable changes in their APMC laws, as well as agriculture marketing rules and regulations.

For instance, Uttar Pradesh has issued just 25 licences for direct purchase at farmgate, although it should allow anyone with a uniform trading licence to buy directly from farmers, at least through the e-NAM portal, said an official source.

“The objective of the e-NAM 2.0 version is to create an ecosystem where everyone from everywhere through everyway can participate in online agri trade. This will benefit everyone, the farmers, processors and organised retailers,” said the official.

Pointing to the tardy progress in reforms by states, the official said while Odisha, Delhi and Puducherry had not implemented direct purchase from farm gate, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttarakhand were yet to frame the rules, sources said.

Also read: Set for November launch, e-NAM 2.0 may help increase participation of buyers, sellers

Further, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Delhi had not yet declared warehouses/ cold storages as market yards, which would block crucial integration with e-NAM. Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu have allowed warehouses to function as market yards, but had not framed the rules.

Another crucial area is reciprocity of trading licences in which two states mutually agree to honour trading licences issued by the other. Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Delhi had not done anything on reciprocity of licences.

Since market fee and commission charges have a cascading effect on market efficiency, the Centre has also suggested rationalisation of these charges.

Also read: eNAM platform of platforms – Key concerns and way forward 

According to the Agriculture Ministry, market fee as well as commission charges levied by states on non–perishables, inclusive of all other cess/ charges, should not be more than 2 per cent each, and on perishables not above 1 per cent. However, commission charges on perishables may be fixed at up to 4 per cent, it said.

Addressing a workshop on ‘e-NAM 2.0 and agriculture marketing reforms,’ last month, Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said: “a lot many points were made (by speakers) – we should do this, we need to do that. It is up to us to do that.” He advised officials to work out solutions that can be converted to reality.

Ease of doing business would ensure participation of a larger number of buyers and sellers on e-NAM, he said.

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