Hazaribag farmers sell produce through online portal, keep middlemen at bay

HAZARIBAG: The marketing and trading of agricultural products through the national agricultural market (E-nam) proved a boon for the farmers of Hazaribag district as they are getting full support from the Hazaribag Bazar Samiti.
SDO Hazaribag Bidya Bushan Kumar, who is also the chairman of the Hazaribag Bazar Samiti, said the farmers were facing difficulties in selling their agricultural products during the pandemic and the lockdown. "We have encouraged these farmers to get registered with the national agricultural market through the Hazaribag Bazar Samiti as this will help them to sell their products directly to traders anywhere in the country without the involvement of any middlemen," he said. Kumar said that whatever trading is done on e-NAM portal, the entire payment is made through the digital payment system directly to the bank accounts of the sellers.
He said that so far 2,16,363 farmers and 2,026 traders have registered through the e-nam and are selling their products online. "Till date trading worth Rs143 lakh have taken place of which around 90% received digital payment," he said.
The secretary of Hazaribag Bazar Samiti, Rakesh Kumar Singh, said that Hazaribag is one of the top performing districts in trading through the e-nam system and Hazaribag Bazar Samiti is among the top bazar samitis in the entire country.
"This year, Hazaribag Bazar Samiti has sold wheat worth Rs 1.18 crore, three lakh tonnes of tomatoes and green melon worth Rs 68,000 and onion worth Rs 55,000," he said.
From April 1 to June 16, the farmers of Hazaribag have received payment of Rs 169.75 lakh digitally. He said this has encouraged the farmers who have shown immense interest now to sell their products through e-nam as it is done without the involvement of middlemen.
State agriculture minister Badal Patralekh said that Hazaribag Bazar Samiti was doing an excellent work through the e-nam system and it will benefit more and more farmers in the coming days.