The Centre has asked State governments to speed up implementation of electronic-national agriculture market (e-NAM) to achieve the target of integrating 200 mandis by September this year.
At present, only 23 mandis in eight States have been integrated with the e-NAM. The government has kept a total target of 585 by March 2018.
A meeting was called here today to discuss with State government officials the progress made in the implementation of e-NAM in various States.
Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak in the meeting directed State officials to fasten the process and put in place infrastructure at the earliest so that more mandis are integrated with the e-platform, sources said.
Some States, especially Uttar Pradesh which at present has integrated only six mandis, have promised to integrate 60 mandis by August 15, while Madhya Pradesh has said it will integrate at least 10 mandis by that date.
Eight States – Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka – which have already integrated some mandis have informed the Centre that they will bring more to the e-NAM platform by next month, sources added.
The Secretary also urged the State governments to popularise e-NAM among the farming community by putting up billboards as well as logos at appropriate locations.