National Agriculture Market Platform for Indian Farmers.

Agriculture Ministry will soon float a tender inviting IT firms to set up an online platform for proposed national agriculture market that seeks to integrate 585 wholesale markets across India. Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) will float the tender.

The Cabinet In July this year had approved the setting up of an online national agriculture market that will provide more options to farmers for selling their produce and also allocated Rs 200 crore for its establishment.

Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussain told "This will be a game changer step in agriculture sector of the country. It will break down trade barriers between APMC mandis within a state. We are working for such a platform that will be of great help to farmers in getting decent remuneration for their produce" He said that farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country from his own location. As many as ten states including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jharkhand have come on the board for this plan. An amount of Rs 100 crore has been allocated in current year's budget which is being used for the development of this platform.

Agriculture Ministry has also organised a seminar there of all state agriculture ministers to showcase the working of this platform. Karnataka government has formed a similar online agriculture market. Till farmers are restricted to selling their produce at mandis or market committees that charge various taxes.

Source:http://www.business-standard.com/