A Big Push To E-Procurement: Farmers Receive MSP For 14 Crops

To improve farming and provide higher income for farmers, the Haryana government has been actively implementing digital governance methods. The Meri Fasal-Mera Byora e-procurement platform, which was established by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in April 2020, is an example of a successful endeavor in this area.

During the rabi season, 8.71 lakh farmers, or more than 80% of the total farmers in the state, enrolled on the platform in less than two years.

Haryana has become the first state in India to acquire 14 crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) thanks to the portal. Wheat, mustard, barley, grams, paddy, maize, bajra, cotton, sunflower, moong, peanut, tur, urad, and sesame are among these crops.

The state's 81 mandis have been linked to the E-NAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market) site to initiate online sales. The eNAM platform provides a pan-India electronic trading gateway that connects the existing APMC mandis to construct a unified national agricultural commodities market.

Since the government prioritizes the procurement of crops of farmers who have registered on this portal, it is not surprising that, as of date, over 27 lakh farmers have sold their crops using it. The state government's buying of bajra is a notable example of how digitalization has aided the state government's procurement process.

"Last year, we paid farmers Rs 1,670 crore for bajra procured at the MSP of Rs 2,150 per quintal." This year's MSP for bajra is Rs 2,250 per quintal.

From November 11 to December 15, the market price of millet was between Rs 1,680 and Rs 1,800 per quintal, according to the National Commodity Index. They compensated the remaining Rs 600 per quintal and deposited Rs 429 crore directly into the accounts of 2, 38,245 farmers, assuming an average price of Rs 1,650 per quintal. This payment is based on the average productivity per employee.

"Even if the farmer did not send his produce to the market, even if he kept the bajra for his use, he was paid compensation," the official stated, explaining how it worked in the interest of farmers.

The farmer received Rs 600 per quintal in this manner without having to travel. The farmer grew solely bajra and listed it on the 'Meri Fasal-Mera Byora' site."

The portal's use isn't confined to serving as a marketplace for online agricultural sales and purchases.

"The farmer gets financial support through this platform to sell his produce, buy fertilizers and seed, and acquire a loan for agricultural equipment – all while sitting at home," one official explained.