Enhancing Agricultural Marketing and Infrastructure

Context

The Government has emphasized improving digital agricultural marketing and cold storage infrastructure under initiatives like e-NAM, AIF, and MIDH to ensure remunerative prices for farmers and reduce post-harvest losses, as reinforced by recent RBI Working Papers on farmers’ share in consumer prices.

e-NAM (National Agriculture Market):

Launched in 2016 to create a pan-India electronic trading portal integrating the physical wholesale markets (mandis).
Aims to provide transparent price discovery, reduce information asymmetry, and enhance market access.
Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) are increasingly onboarded to facilitate collective bargaining and ensure better price realisation.

Digital Market Expansion:

FPOs are now being integrated with:
- e-NAM – National electronic mandis.
- ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) – democratizing digital commerce.
- GeM (Government e-Marketplace) – allowing government procurement from farmers and FPOs.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):

Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020 for post-harvest infrastructure.
Targets: Cold storages, warehousing, grading & packaging units, especially at farm-gate level.
As of 30 June 2025:
- 2,454 cold storage projects sanctioned.
- Sanctioned amount: ?8,258 crore.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):

Centrally Sponsored Scheme for holistic horticulture development.
Support includes Pack Houses, Cold Chains, Ripening Chambers, Reefer Transport.
Subsidy Pattern:
- 35% of project cost in general areas.
- 50% of project cost in hilly and scheduled areas.
Implemented through State Horticulture Missions (SHMs).