AgriNation News Network

Mumbai. 07 Feb 2018

Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) – the largest wholesale market for onions in Asia – is all set to be part of the World Bank-implemented Maharashtra Agricultural Competitiveness Project (MACP).

The APMC will receive funds to the tune of Rs 1 crore as part of the project to bring the entire auction process online, said Jaydutt Holkar, chairman of Lasalgaon APMC. This is the first APMC in Nashik district to receive 100% funding for the project. Under e-NAM, market committees receive 50% funds for moving onto the online process. According to Holkar, the market committee has purchased some 15 tablets to traders for the e-auction and the bids will commence on a trial basis from Wednesday for the next fortnight. “After the glitches are sorted out, we shall review the process and have made arrangements for auction hall where traders can make bids on the computers as well. Large screens have been put at yards, which shall display market prices of commodities of various APMCs in the country,” he said. Holkar said that trails will be conducted for the e-auction for grain initially and onions will soon be included in the auction process.

Around 30 of Maharashtra’s APMCs are now part of the first phase of the agriculture ministry-promoted national electronic platform, National Agriculture Market (eNAM). The Centre has allotted around Rs 30 lakh per mandi, which means the state has received Rs 9 crore for the project. The progress of these mandis will be monitored after which the state shall move into the next phase in the next 3-4 months, Pawar said. Twenty-eight mandis have started providing online gate entries and commenced e-auctions. The government has tried to free up agricultural markets and let farmers sell at best prices they can discover.