Paper Title
CAN E-NAM IMPROVE FARMERS’ INCOME AND MAKE THEM LESS VULNERABLE IN THE AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN?

Abstract
Abstract - A large majority of India’s population is dependent on agriculture and its allied sector for their livelihood. Thus, for sustaining economic growth and ensuring decent income for farmers, efficient agricultural market is crucial. Better access to market information on quality and price leads to better price realization by farmers and can organize production efficiently by encouraging farmers to produce quality and varieties that consumers prefer. A number of agriculture market reforms have been introduced by the Government of India to deal with market inefficiencies. One such major move has been to promote National Agriculture Market Scheme (e-NAM). Based on the survey feedback of farmers in Rajasthan, this paper examines the impact e-NAM on the bid price of produce and farmers’ dependence on Commission Agents as a measure of market development. The results indicate that the ability to see price and quality information on e-NAM, reduces farmers’ dependence on Commission Agents and influences farmers income. Keywords - National Agriculture Market, e-NAM, farmers, market information, Quality