The Haryana government has recently launched the Meri Fasal-Mera Byora e-procurement portal, a digital platform aimed at increasing efficiency in farming. With this move, Haryana became the first Indian state to procure as many as 14 crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). These include wheat, barley, mustard, gram, paddy, maize, bajra, cotton, sunflower, moong, groundnut, tur, urad, and sesame.
Key Features of Meri Fasal-Mera Byora Portal
The Meri Fasal-Mera Byora portal was launched in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In less than two years, over 80% of the state’s farmers (approximately 8.71 lakh) registered on the portal during the rabi season. The portal aims to offer an online sale facility, linking 81 mandis of the state with the e-NAM (electronic national agriculture market) portal.
The eNAM Platform: A Unified Agricultural Market
eNAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal that networks existing APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Commodities) mandis to develop a unified national agricultural commodities market. It aids in streamlining crop procurement and ensures increased income for farmers.
Government Procurement of Crops
The Government’s procurement policy’s primary objectives are to guarantee MSP to farmers, provide affordable food grains to disadvantaged sections, and bolster market intervention to control prices, which contributes to the nation’s overall food security.
The Role of Food Corporation of India and State Agencies
Procurement of wheat and paddy under a price support scheme is carried out by the Food Corporation of India and other state agencies. Coarse grains are procured by state government agencies for the Central Pool, as directed by the Government of India.
Role of Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
Before each Rabi / Kharif Crop season, Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for procurement are announced by the Government of India based on CACP’s recommendations.
State Governments in Facilitating Procurement
The facilitation of food grain procurement is achieved by setting up purchase centers at various mandis in collaboration with the Food Corporation of India, state agencies, and state governments.
Addressing Monopoly of Middlemen with e-Mandi
Previously, farmers had to rely heavily on local agents to sort, grade, and conduct essential agricultural processes in local mandis. These agents were not always reliable or honest, and their monopoly was detrimental to farmers’ interests. The introduction of digital mandis like eNAM aims to eliminate this middleman dominance, enabling farmers to negotiate directly with traders.
The Role of Modern Technology in Agriculture
The deployment of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, and climate-smart advisory in agriculture has attracted significant investment in the sector recently. An example is the Prime Minister’s initiative of flagging off 100 Kisan drones to spray pesticides across Indian farms. Digital mandis, thus, give farmers the freedom to choose the type, variety, and price point of their crop. This technological integration into agriculture has been instrumental in fostering growth and enhancing farmer incomes.
