Lok Sabha Question No. 3903 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-22
Subject: National Agricultural Market
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: NINONG ERING, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER, GEETHA KOTHAPALLI, PREM DAS RAI, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3903

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  22 ND  DECEMBER, 2015

## NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MARKET

3903.     SHRI NINONG ERING:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

SHRIMATI KOTHAPALLI GEETHA:

SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  approved  a  central  sector  scheme  for  promotion  of  National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund;
- (b) if so, the salient features of the proposed fund;
- (c) the actual allocation made for online national agricultural market;
- (d) whether the Government also propose to integrate 585 wholesale markets across the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to unify markets both at State and National level so that farmers get better price for their produce?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )

- (a) to  (e): Yes,  Madam.  Following  the  Budget  announcements  in  July  2014  and  in  2015,  the scheme  for  setting  up  of  National  Agriculture  Market  (NAM)  through  Agri-Tech  Infrastructure  Fund (ATIF)  has  been  approved  by  the  Government  on  01.07.2015  with  a  budget  of  Rs.200  crore  for implementation during 2015-16 to 2017-18.

The  National  Agriculture  Market  (NAM)  has  been  envisaged  with  the  objective  to  promote integration of markets across States and bring about procedural uniformity, transparency and efficiency in market operations so that farmers get better price for their produce. It will be set up as an appropriate common e-market platform that would be deployable in selected 585 regulated wholesale markets in States/Union  Territories (UTs)  desirous of joining the e-platform.  Small  Farmers  Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) has been mandated to implement the national e-platform and cover 250, 200 and 135 mandis  during 2015-16, 2016-17 and  2017-18 respectively. Department  of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) will meet expenses on software and its customization for the States/ UTs free of cost.  DAC&FW will also give grant as one time fixed cost subject to the ceiling of Rs. 30.00 lakhs per Mandi (other than to the private mandis) for related equipment / infrastructure. State Governments will suggest names of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) market yards where this project would be initiated.  Integration of State APMCs with NAM requires certain prerequisites in the State AMPC Acts, namely- (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.

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