eNAM Integration Empowering Farmers with Better Prices

Integration of APMC mandis with the National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is enhancing price realization for farmers, says R Leshma Manogna, Assistant Professor at BITS Goa. Her NABARD-sponsored research focuses on price gaps, the role of middlemen, and market forecasting using AI and machine learning.

Key Benefits of eNAM Integration

• Real-time price visibility on eNAM helps farmers negotiate better and avoid exploitation by middlemen.
• Eliminates 60–70% of middlemen, allowing direct buyer-seller interaction via smartphone notifications.
• Standardized quality procedures for agricultural commodities are now in place.
• Farmers refuse low offers using market data from eNAM, including MSP awareness.

Ground Realities and Farmer Concerns

• Despite superior quality, farmers often don’t get desired prices.
• Initial implementation lagged, but significant improvement over the last five years.
• Smartphone access and digital literacy among farmers are key enablers.

BITS Goa & NABARD Study Highlights

• Draft report submitted to NABARD; focuses on price realization across 23 commodities in India’s western coastal region.
• 40+ survey questions covered farmers’ experiences with mandi-eNAM integration.
• Study aims to streamline direct market access and further cut out intermediaries.

Forecasting Price Trends Using AI & ML

• Prof. Manogna’s team compares traditional econometric models with:
  • Machine Learning (ML)
  • Deep Learning (DL)
  • Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) – which outperform Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in price prediction accuracy.
• 15 years of wholesale price data analyzed using a 70:30 training/testing ratio.

Incorporating Ground-Level Variables

• Models now factor in:
  • Climate change
  • Soil quality
  • Trade tariffs
• Purpose: To enhance climate-resilient agricultural productivity and accurate price forecasts.

eNAM is transforming agri-markets by enabling transparency, better prices, and predictive insights. The integration of tech and policy must continue for inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth. AI-powered price forecasting offers a future-ready tool for both policy planners and farmers.

BL