Context:

Recently, the Government of India has added nine new commodities to the National Agriculture Market (e‑NAM) platform, raising the total tradable items on the portal to 247.

About e‑NAM:

Launched on 14 April 2016, e‑NAM (National Agriculture Market) is an electronic trading portal designed to link the various APMC mandis, private markets, and buyers across India into one national marketplace.

Its key objectives include:

• • Promoting uniformity in agricultural marketing across states
  • Reducing information asymmetry between producers (farmers) and buyers
  • Ensuring transparent price discovery, based on demand, supply, and quality
  • Facilitating easier and faster transactions through digital features

Under the architecture of e‑NAM, registered farmers, traders, and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations) can list their produce, bid, and transact through online auctions. The system also links to quality assaying labs, grading, online payment, and logistics/warehousing features (in integrated mandis).

New Commodities Added & Rationale

The nine new commodities added to the platform are:

1.       Green Tea

2.      Tea

3.      Ashwagandha Dry Roots

4.     Mustard Oil

5.     Lavender Oil

6.     Mentha Oil

7.      Virgin Olive Oil

8.     Lavender Dried Flower

9.     Broken Rice

Expected Benefits:

• • Greater market access for farmers producing these added products — especially niche, value‑added, or regional crops
  • Fairer pricing linked to quality
  • Reduced dependence on intermediaries, with more buyers able to bid across states
  • Diversification of trade portfolio through inclusion of oils, herbs, roots, specialty crops
  • Incentive for better cultivation and quality control practices, as produce quality will command premium pricing

Challenges of e- NAM:

1.       Limited inter‑state trade uptake
Despite nationwide connectivity, actual cross‑mandi or inter‑state trade via e‑NAM remains modest. In FY25, inter‑state trade through e‑NAM reportedly halved to about ₹21 crore — indicating that much of the trade remains local.

2.      Logistic, infrastructure & connectivity gaps
Transport, warehousing, cold chain, grading laboratories, internet connectivity in rural areas—all remain constraints to fully realize the vision of a truly integrated market.

3.      Digital & adoption barriers
Many small and marginal farmers, traders, or commission agents may still rely on traditional (offline) modes due to lack of digital literacy, trust issues, or procedural inertia.

4.     Need for revised regulatory alignment
State APMC laws, licensing, market fees, and rules need to be harmonised further to promote seamless cross‑state trade.

Conclusion:

The inclusion of nine new commodities into e‑NAM, bringing the total to 247, is a forward step in the evolution of India’s agricultural marketing infrastructure. By widening the tradable basket, linking quality parameters, and promoting price transparency, the government aims to deepen the reach of digital agricultural trade and empower farmers.