Bizodisha Bureau, New Delhi, July 2, 2015 : Farmers in the country has something to smile with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approving a Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).

The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) will set it up through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) by creation of a common electronic platform deployable in selected regulated markets across the country, an official press release said.

The union government has earmarked Rs 200 crore for the scheme from 2015-16 to 2017-18. This includes provision for supplying software free of cost by DAC to the States and Union Territories (UTs) and for cost of related hardware/infrastructure to be subsidized by the Government of India up to Rs. 30 lakh per Mandi [wholesale market].

Private mandis have been excluded from the scheme. However, big private mandis will be allowed access to the e-platform for purposes of price discovery.

The target is to cover 585 selected regulated markets across the country in phases. In the current fiscal, some 250 mandis will be covered followed by 200 mandis in 2016-17 and remaining 135 mandis in 2017-18.

These mandis will be integrated with the common e-platform to provide farmers and traders with access to opportunities for purchase/sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner across the country. Besides, private markets will also be allowed access to the e-platform thereby enhancing its outreach.

SFAC will be the lead agency for the development of the National e-Market by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, and they will select a service provider through open bidding.

An appropriate common e-market platform will be set up that would be deployable in the selected 585 regulated wholesale markets in States/UTs desirous of joining the e-platform. The SFAC will implement the national e-platform in three phases during 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. DAC will meet expenses on software and its customisation for the States and provide it free of cost to the States and UTs.

DAC will also give grant as one time fixed cost subject to the ceiling of Rs.30 lakh per Mandi for related equipment / infrastructure in the 585 regulated mandis, for installation of the e-market platform. However they will not be supported with any funds for equipment / infrastructure.

For integration with the e-platform the States/UTs will need to undertake prior reforms in respect of (i) a single license to be valid across the State, (ii) single point levy of market fee and (iii) provision for electronic auction as a mode for price discovery. Only those States/UTs that have completed these three pre-requisites will be eligible for assistance under the scheme.

The e-marketing platform is expected to bring greater farmer satisfaction as prospects for marketing of his produce would be significantly enhanced. He will have improved access to market related information and better price discovery through a more efficient, transparent and competitive marketing platform, which gives him access to a greater number of buyers within the State and from outside, through transparent auction processes. It would also increase his access to markets through warehouse based sales and thus obviate the need to transport his produce to the mandi.