Jharkhand’s agriculture market goes digital

RANCHI: The trade of agricultural produce in Jharkhand went digital on Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a digital trading platform – National Agriculture Market – for farmers of eight states including Jharkhand. On this national platform, now farmers can enlist their produce to attract wholesale buyers and increase their income.
Ajit Kumar, director marketing, Jharkhand state agriculture marketing board, Ranchi said the digital platform is aimed at transforming the life and income of farmers.
Modi inaugurated the national agriculture market (e-platform) at a function in Madhya Pradesh’s Mhow, B R Ambedkar’s birthplace on Thursday to which Krishi Bazaar Samiti, Pandra (Ranchi) was also connected.
Two crops ‘mahua’ and ‘tamarind’ from Jharkhand have been listed in the e-mandi among 25 crops including wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, onions and spices from eight states. “In April the production of ‘mahua’ and ‘tamarind’ are abound in the state,” Kumar said.
Radha Kant Tiwari, vice chairman of Krishi Bazaar Samiti, Pandra said the farmers connected to the wholesale marketing exercise will benefit from it. “Now farm produce will have a huge network of buyers and farmers will sell to the highest bidder and benefit more,” he said.
In the absence of the e-mandi, farmers had no option but to sell their produce to middlemen and traders who suppressed prices of commodity through a consensus among traders. “The unseen cartel formed by groups of traders purchased the farmers produce at a low rate and sold them at high rate to get maximum advantage. The benefit however did not reach the farmers,” an official of the wholesale agriculture market said on the condition of anonymity.