Research by Isha Malaviya
Presented & Edited by Sumit Krishna Yadav
As opposed to a traditional mandi system, e-mandis specifically abolish the culture of middlepersons. During the pandemic they serve a two-fold purpose by both increasing direct-to-consumer access, and securing some form of finance for affected vendors. The initiative has been taken on two levels—by the Centre, and by start-ups.
The Centre inaugurated e-NAM in 2016, a government project that shifted mandis registered under APMC to a common online platform. The primary aim is to provide real-time price discovery, derived from supply and demand, through a transparent process. In 2016, only 21 mandis were registered with e-NAM. As of May 2020, over 700 mandis have been integrated onto the platform. Karnataka’s Rashtriya e-Market Services (ReMS) has joined hands with e-NAM, widening the scope of online agricultural transactions. The Agricultural Ministry has reported that there has been an increase of 65% in connected mandis since the beginning of the lockdown.
So, what exactly is an e-mandi, how does it operate? Can this system effectively benefit Indian farmers? and finally, what obstacles stand in the way of its implementation?
Stupid and incomplete article. no research has been done
This article raised more questions than it answers.