The Indian government launched e-NAM in 2016 to improve the agricultural sector by creating a unified market platform which provides real-time information on commodity prices, enables price discovery, and removes geographical barriers to trade. The study has examined e-NAM, commodities traded, stakeholders, and APMCs in various states using data from government publications, scholarly journals, newspapers, and internet articles &data pertains to November 2024. Descriptive statistics are used to understand the significance of e-NAM development in addressing its advancement, performance, and issues. The e-NAM system in India has 1389 APMCs listed, with Tamil Nadu leading with 157 APMCs, accounting for 11.30%. Rajasthan has the highest number of mandis involved in online trading, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 94(19.22 %). Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh are also significant mandis involved in online trading. Several states and UTs, including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Jharkhand, Kerala, Nagaland Pondicherry, and Tripura, are not involved in online trading. Currently, about 221 commodities are trading in e-NAM, including 35 food grains, 45 fruits, 59 vegetables, 16 spices, and 52 other commodities. As of November 2024, e-NAM’s breakdown revealed 1,82,10,817 stakeholders, with 1,78,29,925 farmers accounting for 97.90%. The total number of traders was 262195, with 1,14,366 commission agents and 79 service providers registered. From June 2021 to November 2024, stakeholder and mandis growth increased by 38.90%, traders by 51.95, FPOs by 126.53%, and 4% more farmers were registered. Odisha led with 489 FPOs accounting for 11.50%. Around 178.30 lakhs of farmers have been registered on e-NAM for trading, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number of farmers(18.3%), followed by Madhya Pradesh(16.96%)and Haryana(15.29 %). e-NAM has significantly impacted India’s agricultural sector by promoting transparency, improving market access, and ensuring equitable pricing. Despite infrastructure and adoption challenges, the platform’s continuous expansion and government support suggest a positive future for this innovative agricultural market reform.
Rohith et al. (Wed,) studied this question.