Cabinet clears central sector scheme for promotion of national agricultural

Market through ATIF

• Union Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) aiming at providing irrigation facilities to every village.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval to a Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).
• PMKSY will be monitored by National Steering Committee chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and concerned Union Ministers will be the members.
• The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) will set it up through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) by creation of a common electronic Platform deployable in selected regulated markets across the country.
• 585 regulated markets including private markets across the country will be
• integrated with the common e-platform to provide farmers and traders with access to opportunities for purchase/ sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner across the country

Fund allocated:-

• CCEA approved scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund at a cost of 200 rupees crore for the next three years.
• This includes provision for supplying software free of cost by DAC to the
• States and Union Territories (UTs) and for cost of related
• hardware/infrastructure to be subsidized by the Government of India up to Rs 30
• lakh per Mandi (other than for private mandis).
• 50 thousand crore rupees has been allocated for the scheme over the five years to ensure the success of this Yojana.

Objectives:-

• Convergence of investments in irrigation.
• To expand area under assured irrigation and improve water-usage.
• The Yojana seeks to promote extension activities related to farm water
• It also will help in crop alignment for farmers and grass root level field

National e-Market by the Ministry of Agriculture in brief:-

• It will be led by SAFC and they will select a service provider through open bidding.
• An appropriate common e-market platform will be set up for those 585 regulated market across country.
• It will implement the national e-platform in three phases during 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18
• DAC will meet expenses on software and its customization for the States and UTS.

Pre-requisites for integration with the e-platform the States/UTs-

• A single license to be valid across the State.
• Single point levy of market fee.
• Provision for electronic auction as a mode for price discovery.

Abbreviation

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs- CCEA
• National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund –ATIF
• Department of Agriculture & Cooperation – DAC
• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium – SFAC