Digital Inclusion: Fortifying Agricultural Marketing

Abstract

Agriculture produce has achieved reasonable growth rate in India but efficiency in marketing that produce is still a major concern. An efficient marketing system helps in optimization of resource use, output management, income realization of farmers and
growth of agro based industries. In India, agricultural marketing is noted by fragmented supply chain, multiple market players ultimately affecting efficient marketing. Both central and state government has taken strenuous efforts to resolve issues related to post harvest supply chain. One of the remarkable steps in this direction is to bring agricultural marketing within the ambit of digital inclusion. In Uttarakhand, agriculture sector is dominant with 70 percent population directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. The state has tremendous potential for cultivation of horticultural crops and special attention has been given to marketing of horticulture produce. Although Uttarakhand is governed by APMC act, the markets are not functioning up to mark. The study attempts to highlight the problems faced by farmers in marketing the agricultural produce in Uttarakhand. The paper thoroughly focuses on the advantages of online trading platform– NAM, in overcoming various limitations like direct marketing of produce, multiple taxes, inadequate logistics and infrastructure. Uttarakhand has shown a positive attitude towards this latest initiative by integrating five mandis to platform, leading to transparent operations in mandis.