National Agricultural Market (eNAM) is an online trading platform started with a vision to promote uniformity in agriculture marketing by streamlining procedures across the integrated markets in India. It aims to create better marketing opportunities for the farmers to sell their products through a competitive and transparent price discovery system along with an online payment facility for the buyers. The Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) acts as the lead agency for implementing e-Nam under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 

Keeping in view the need of making marketing of commodities easier for farmers, e-NAM was envisioned and launched in 21 Mandis on 14th April 2016. 

e-NAM website is now available in eight different languages (Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Odia) while the live trading facility is available in six different languages (Hindi, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi & Telugu).

The agriculture ministry has added six new features in the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform to make it more user friendly in February 2018. This includes 

  1. MIS dashboard for better analysis
  2. BHIM payment facility by traders 
  3. Mobile payment facility by traders 
  4. Enhanced features on mobile app such as gate entry and payment through mobile 
  5. Integration of farmer’s database 
  6. eLearning module in e-NAM website

Characteristics of e-NAM:

  • It will enable farmers to showcase their products through their nearby markets and facilitate traders from anywhere to quote price.
  • provides single window services for all Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) related services and information. This includes commodity arrivals, quality & prices, buy & sell offers & e-payment settlement directly into farmers account, among other services.
  • It also provides licenses for the traders, buyers and commission agents that can be obtained from the state-level authorities without any pre-condition of physical presence or possession of shops or premises in the market yard.
  • Harmonisation of quality standards of agricultural products and infrastructure for quality testing is made available in every market. Recently, common tradable parameters have been developed for 25 commodities.
  • Provision of Soil Testing Laboratories is provided for the selected mandi (market) in order to facilitate the farmers visiting the mandi.

Benefits of Trading on eNAM

  • Transparent Online Trading
  • Real-Time Price Discovery
  • Better Price Realization For Producers
  • Reduced Transaction Cost For Buyers
  • Stable Price and Availability to Consumers
  • Quality Certification, Warehousing, and Logistics
  • More Efficient Supply Chain
  • Payment and Delivery Guarantee
  • Error Free Reporting of Transactions
  • Enhanced Accessibility to the Market

Implementation Agency for e-NaM

  • Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) which is the lead promoter of National Agricultural Market (eNAM). SFAC which is formulated under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW). SFAC through open tender, selects a Partner to develop, operate and maintain the NAM e-platform.
  • SFAC implements eNAM with the technical support of a partner and budgetary grant support from the nodal department. DAC&FW will provide one-time assistance of up to Rs.30 lakhs per Mandi (market) for installation of the e-Market platform. Around 6500 Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs) operating throughout the country of which 585 district level Mandis (markets) in States or Union Territories (UTs) are planned to be linked by eNAM.

selection committee for e-NAM:

S.No Selection Committee
1. Additional Secretary (Marketing), DAC&FW Member
2. AS&FA, DAC&FW Member
3. Managing Director, SFAC Member
4. APC/Secretary, I/c Agriculture Marketing of concerned State Member
5. Joint Secretary (Marketing), DAC & FW Member Secretary

The above selection committee will select the beneficiaries to participate under the eNAM.

Allocation of Funds under e-NAM:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved a Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF). The government has allocated ₹200 crores to the newly created ATIF. 

With this fund SFAC will implement NAM for three years from 2015-16 to 2017-18. Each market is given ₹30 lakhs by the department.

Advantages for Various Stakeholders in e-NAM Program:

Farmers

Farmers can sell products without the interference of any brokers or mediators by generating competitive returns from their investment.

Traders

Traders will be able to perform secondary trading from one APMC to another marketing committee in India. The local traders can get access to the larger national market for secondary trading.

Buyers, Processors & Exporters

Buyers such as retailers, processors or exporters will be able to source commodities from any markets in India by decreasing the mediation cost. Their physical presence and dependence on intermediaries are not required.

Consumers

eNAM will expand the number of traders, and the competition among them will increase. This transforms into stable prices and availability to the consumers.

Mandis (Markets)

The monitoring and regulation of traders and commission agents will become accessible as the reporting system will be generated automatically. The transparency in the process excludes the scope of manipulation of the auctioning/tendering process. Market allocation fee will rise due to an accounting of all transactions taken place in the market. It will lessen the manpower requirements as the auctioning or tendering process is carried out electronically. It also reduces information asymmetry as all the activities of an APMC can be directly known from the official website.

Others

NAM intends to improve the marketing aspect of the agriculture sector with one license for the entire state and single point levy, will turn into a market and the market fragmentation within the same state will be abolished. And it will improve the supply chain of commodities and reduce wastage.

Online Registration Procedure for Farmers/Traders :

Step 1: The farmer/trader has to visit the official portal of eNAM

Step 2: Select “Registration Type” as to whether “Farmer/Trader” and select the desired “APMC” from the registration page

Step 3: Provide your correct Email ID as you will receive Login ID and Password in the same

Step 4: Once successfully Registered, you will receive a temporary Login ID and Password in the registered e-mail

Step 5: Now, login to the Dashboard by clicking on the login icon through the system

Step 6: Then the user will find a message on the dashboard as “Click here to register with APMC”

Step 7: Click on the link which will redirect you to the Registration Page for filling or updating details

Step 8: After KYC is completed, the request will be sent for approval to your selected APMC

Step 9: After Successful Login to your dashboard, you will be able to see all APMC address details

Step 10: Upon Successful Submission user will get an e-mail confirming the submission of the application to concerned APMC along with the status of the Application as Submitted/In progress or approved or Rejected

Step 11: Once approved by APMC, you will receive eNAM Farmer Permanent Login ID and Password for complete access under eNAM platform on the registered e-mail id

Online Registration Procedure for FPCs/FPOs:

The Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)/FPCs can register on e-NAM Portal via the same website or mobile app or by providing following details at the respective eNAM mandi:

  • Name of FPOs/FPCs
  • Name, address, email Id and contact number of the authorized person (MD, CEO, Manager)
  • Bank account details such as Name of Bank, Branch, Account number, IFSC

Online Registration Procedure for Mandi Board:

The State Agriculture Marketing Boards (Mandi Board) interested in integrating their Mandis with eNAM are required to carry out following reforms under the APMC Act

  • The unified trading license to be valid across the state has to be obtained
  • The provision for e-auction or e-trading as a mode of price discovery is required
  • The single point levy of market fee across the state is applicable