eGovWatch: PM to launch e-agri market for better crop price realisation
The prices of various farm produce varies in different markets across the country. This resulted in unremunerative prices to the farmers, which was sought to be redressed by the virtual platform
Milind Ghatwai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday unveiled operational guidelines for his government’s flagship crop insurance scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — at a farmers’ rally in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh. Asserting that the new scheme will win the trust of farmers, the PM said shortcomings of earlier schemes unveiled by his predecessors had been addressed. “Even those people who are bent on portraying me as ‘anti-farmer’ have not been able to criticise it,’’ he said.
At the event, Modi also announced the launch of the ‘National Agriculture Market’ — a new digital platform that will be available to farmers across the country from April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“We are setting up a National Agriculture Market, a virtual and digital platform, in the coming days….On April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, we will launch the online platform,” he said at the rally which was attended by Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Radha Mohan Singh and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Under the e-agri platform, the government is working towards integrating all the 585 wholesale mandis of the country by 2018 in a phased manner, for which Rs 200 crore has been earmarked as of now. In the first phase, 200 mandis will be integrated by this March-end, while another 200 will be connected to the online platform in 2017 and the rest by 2018. The Centre has received proposals from states like Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana and Maharashtra for developing necessary infrastructure in wholesale markets. A strategic partner for implementing the national agri e-market has also been identified.
He pointed out that the prices of various farm produce varied in different markets in the country but the farmers sold their yield at the nearest available market.
This resulted in unremunerative prices to the farmers, which was sought to be redressed by the virtual platform of national agricultural market, Modi said.
