PERCEPTION OF FARMERS ABOUT E-NAM AND DIGITAL MARKETING APPLICATIONS

Abstract

In India, a slew of market-distorting laws and regulations stymie the growth of an integrated agricultural market. In 2016, the Indian government launched National Agriculture Market, or e-NAM, is a pan-India electronic trading system, that integrates the current APMC mandi to establish a unified national market for agricultural commodities, allowing farmers to sell their produce at the highest prices accessible anywhere in the country. The study was conducted in three districts of Telangana to examine the perception of farmers about e-NAM and digital marketing applications covering a random sample of 90 farmers. It is found that e-NAM creates a platform for farmers with an efficient supply chain to sell their produce anywhere to get a remunerative price and abolish fragmented markets. It also has considerable potential to increase competition, remove information asymmetry, and promote real-time price discovery. The majority of the farmers were having a medium level of perception about the use of e-NAM and digital marketing applications. It can be inferred that there is a need to create awareness, increase knowledge and educate the farmers as to how the e-NAM and digital marketing applications bring advantages to the marketing of their produce which will help them improve their livelihood and income level.