Over 3.2 Crore Quintals Traded: Gujarat's e-NAM Success Story

Gujarat's agricultural sector is showing strong results from the e-NAM digital trading platform. Farmers across the state have traded more than 3.20 crore quintals of produce on the system, generating sales worth Rs 12,740.60 crore.

Introduced in 2016 by the central government, e-NAM functions as a unified online marketplace for agricultural produce market committees. It was designed to provide farmers with access to larger buyer networks, improved prices and transparent dealings.

The platform currently has 8,87,865 registered users in Gujarat. These include 8,69,922 farmers, 10,291 traders, 7,191 commission agents and 461 farmer producer organisations. A total of 144 mandis in the state are part of the network.

Operated by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium under the Union Agriculture Ministry, e-NAM uses quality-driven online auctions. This approach enables farmers to receive prices based on demand and supply, while reducing the information imbalance between buyers and sellers.

Farmer Parbatbhai Patat from the Una Market Committee has been selling groundnut through the platform for one year. He says the system is more efficient than traditional mandis. Each sale brings him an extra Rs 200 to Rs 500, raising his total income by about 5 to 7 per cent.

He said, "The process is very fast and we get a good price for our crop. Money goes directly into our bank accounts, which makes everything simpler."

Harsh Ghodasara, linked with the Upleta Market Committee, has sold cotton, groundnut and wheat on e-NAM for five years. He reports income gains of 15 to 20 per cent compared with local markets.

Ghodasara believes online sales have transformed farming. Direct engagement with traders saves on commission, and payments arrive directly in farmers' accounts. He recalled that his family's finances were weak two decades ago, and that e-NAM's financial benefits have now made him a regular online seller.

The platform's purpose is to make agricultural sales more transparent. Farmers gain access to more buyers and fair prices linked to produce quality, and online payment systems ensure that sale proceeds are delivered directly to them.

With Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel leading the initiative, the Gujarat government is working to digitise agricultural marketing and offer farmers broader business opportunities beyond their local markets.