Govt Adds 10 New Commodities to e-NAM for Better Market Access

The Indian government has expanded the scope of the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) by adding 10 new agricultural commodities for trading. With this inclusion, the total number of commodities on the e-NAM platform has reached 231. The move is aimed at improving price realization for farmers and ensuring a more transparent and efficient trade system.

What Are the 10 New Commodities Added to e-NAM?

The newly introduced commodities include both raw and value-added agricultural products:

• Dried Tulsi Leaves
• Besan (Chickpea Flour)
• Wheat Flour
• Chana Sattu (Roasted Chickpea Flour)
• Water Chestnut Flour
• Asafoetida
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves
• Water Chestnut
• Baby Corn
• Dragon Fruit

Among these, items like Chana Sattu, Water Chestnut Flour, Asafoetida, and Dried Fenugreek Leaves are categorized under secondary trade. Their inclusion is expected to help Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) gain better market access for processed and value-added products.

Why Was This Expansion of e-NAM Needed?

e-NAM, launched in 2016, is an online trading platform designed to create a unified national agricultural market. It connects farmers to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis, ensuring a competitive and transparent price discovery system. The addition of new commodities aligns with the government’s efforts to:

• Increase market opportunities for farmers by allowing more products to be traded online.
• Improve price transparency and efficiency through a standardized grading system.
• Support FPOs and small-scale producers in selling value-added products.

This initiative follows extensive consultations with stakeholders to ensure better price realization and market access for farmers across the country.

How Will These New Commodities Benefit Farmers?

The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) has introduced tradable parameters for these commodities, helping farmers secure fair pricing based on standardized quality checks. This move is expected to:

• Provide greater market reach by enabling farmers to sell beyond local mandis.
• Ensure better income generation through transparent price discovery.
• Promote agriculture diversification by encouraging the production and trade of high-value crops like baby corn and dragon fruit.

The Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare manages the e-NAM platform, ensuring smooth operations and policy implementation.

Summary of the news