Haryana to link 27 mandis with NAM

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 13

The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board has begun the process to link 27 grain mandis of the state with the National Agriculture Market — a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural produce.

J Ganesan, chief administrator of the HSAMB, said the board had set a target of bringing 27 markets under the NAM by September 30, 2016.

The new markets to be linked with the NAM include — Kaithal, Panipat, Gharaunda, Madlauda, Samalkha and Nissing for trading of paddy crop; Thanesar, Pehowa, Ismailabad and Ladwa for paddy, tomato and potato crops; Jind, Julana and Narwana for paddy, cotton and tomato; Dabwali and Kalanwali for paddy and cotton; Rohtak and Rewari for oilseed, barley and bajra; Adampur and Hansi for cotton, oilseed, barley and gram; Sonepat for paddy, oilseeds, maize and jowar, Charkhi Dadri for cotton, oilseeds, jwar and grams; Ratia for cotton, oilseeds and barley; Taraori for paddy and tomato; Gohana and Ganaur for paddy, oilseeds, maize and jawar; Safidon for paddy, oilseeds, barley and bajra and Mullana for oilseeds and paddy.

Grain markets in Karnal, Ellenanad, Shahbad and Ambala City are already linked to the NAM.

The chief administrator said the board had started collecting data regarding farmers and traders from these mandis and e-auction halls were being set up by its engineering wing.

However, traders have expressed apprehensions over being eliminated from the system. Bajrang Dass Garg, president of the Haryana Pradesh Vyapar Mandal, has taken exception to the HSAMB’s directions to grain market traders asking them to provide permanent address, Adhaar number, bank accounts details etc of farmers. He said the government was trying to bypass traders and intends to deal directly with the farmers.

On the other hand, J Ganesan said the apprehensions were totally misplaced and arhtiyas were an integral part of the NAM.