Bengaluru: Karnataka has become a model for the whole nation by introducing online trading of agricultural commodities that has eliminated the menace of middlemen and brought the smile back on the faces of farmers.
The state government has revolutionised trading of agricultural commodities by introducing online trading which has saved agricultural producers marketing committees (APMCs) from the clutches of middlemen.
Online trading had been introduced in 155 main markets and 354 sub-markets across the state. Under this system, a farmer brings his produce to the market where the quality of produce is ascertained by an accredited agency. Later, information about the commodity and details on the authentication of quality are posted online through registered traders and commission agents so that it is open for bidding. Licensed bidders from across the country inspect the quality of produce and then quote prices.
A trader who buys the commodity has to transfer the money online to the trader/commission agent which is given to the farmer. In this system, middlemen have no role to play and the entire transaction is transparent. The accredited agency would be held responsible if the quality of the commodity is unsatisfactory after delivery.
This trading has now become so popular that senior officials from the Department of Agricultural Marketing are visiting Karnataka to study the model so that they can implement it in their respective states. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu too collected details.
To begin with, this was started in a few APMCs with only a few commodities. Within a span of two years, it has been extended to 53 centres with more than 30 commodities brought under this trade. It had been successfully implemented in Bagalkot, Ballari, Belagavi, Bidar, Vijayapura, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Hassan, Haveri, Koppal, Mandya, Mysuru, Uttara Kannada, Raichur, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Yadgir.
