Context:
10 New Agricultural Commodities added to the e-NAM (National Agricultural Market) Platform.
e-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market):
- Objective: A nationwide electronic trading platform that integrates existing APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) Mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
- Launch Year: 2016.
- Implementing Agency: Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- It is not an independent marketing platform but rather enhances the physical infrastructure of existing APMCs.
- Benefits –
- Improves Market Access: By reducing information asymmetry between buyers and sellers.
- Real-Time Price Discovery: Based on actual demand and supply.
- Transparency: Auction process based on the quality of produce with timely online payments.
Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs):
- Governed by State APMC Act
- Originally enacted under the Agricultural Produce Market Regulation Act of 1963, which varies from state to state.
- States are required to make 3 specific reforms in their APMC Acts to integrate their mandis with e-NAM:
- Unified Single Trading License: To allow trading across all APMCs within the state.
- Single Point Levy of Market Fee: Ensures that the market fee is levied at one point within the state.
- e-Auction/e-Trading for Price Discovery: Promotes electronic auction and trading as a method of price determination.
Source: ET
Previous Year Question
With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of “Conservation Agriculture” assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture?
1. Avoiding the monoculture practices
2. Adopting minimum tillage
3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops
4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface
5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
(c) 2, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only
Answer: (c)