The Government of India (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) has approved the inclusion of seven agricultural products from Bihar on the e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) platform, taking the total number of commodities eligible for online trading to 238. The newly added items, Marcha rice, Katarni rice, Jardalu mango, Shahi litchi, Magahi paan, Banarasi paan and sugarcane, are all cultivated in various regions of Bihar, with several carrying the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, denoting their origin specific identity and agricultural heritage.
This decision aligns with ongoing efforts to integrate more regional crops into the national digital trading framework. While e-NAM is a digital integration of physical agricultural markets across India, Bihar poses a unique case, as the state had dismantled its Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) system decades ago. Despite the absence of a formal mandi network, Bihar has created a separate regulatory framework to supervise 53 market yards. Out of these, 20 are currently linked with the e-NAM platform.
Product Details and Geographic Significance
Among the newly integrated products, Marcha rice, also locally referred to as Mircha rice, is a short, aromatic variety grown predominantly in the West Champaran district. This rice has obtained the GI tag due to its specific aroma, grain size and localized cultivation practices. Similarly, Katarni rice, another short grain aromatic rice, is cultivated mainly in Bhagalpur and Banka districts. It has also been awarded the GI tag, underscoring its uniqueness and regional branding.
Jardalu mango, grown in the Bhagalpur region, is known for its juicy pulp and pale yellow skin. Its distinct taste has earned it a GI tag as well. Shahi litchi, produced in Muzaffarpur, is widely recognized for its high sweetness, unique fragrance, and juicy content, and holds GI certification.
Magahi paan, a soft and juicy betel leaf cultivated in the historical Magadh region, which comprises Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, and Arwal districts, is another GI tagged product added to e-NAM. Banarasi paan, which uses Magahi betel leaves as a key ingredient and has also received the GI tag, is now included as a finished product on the platform. The seventh commodity, sugarcane, although not GI tagged, is a key crop in the region and has been added to strengthen farmer participation in the online marketplace.
Standardization Through Tradable Parameters
To support trading of these commodities, the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), functioning under the Ministry of Agriculture, has formulated specific tradable parameters. These parameters are intended to standardize quality and grading across all mandis connected to the platform, thereby ensuring that farmers receive prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.
In addition to the inclusion of new commodities, DMI has revised the tradable parameters for four already listed products, water chestnut flour, baby corn, and dragon fruit, following feedback from stakeholders, including traders, subject experts and farmer bodies. These revisions are designed to refine quality benchmarks and enhance market responsiveness.
Platform Expansion and Functional Overview
e-NAM, launched in 2016, is an initiative aimed at creating a unified national digital marketplace for agricultural commodities. It connects physical mandis via an online interface, enabling farmers to participate in quality based, transparent auctions, real time price discovery and immediate payment settlements. The platform has been designed in consultation with various stakeholders, including state governments, the Small Farmers’ Agri Business Consortium (SFAC) and agricultural traders.
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The recent expansion is part of a broader strategy to deepen the platform’s inclusivity and widen access for farmers, particularly in regions where formal mandi infrastructure is limited or absent. By including GI tagged and region specific products, the Ministry seeks to facilitate better price realization, quality assurance, and broader market access for growers.
Strategic Implications for Farmers and Traders
According to the official statement from the agriculture ministry, the addition of these seven products to e-NAM from Bihar is expected to improve farmers’ economic returns by enabling better market access and enhancing transparency in pricing mechanisms. The move is aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt quality grading, engage in value based trading and participate in a more structured marketplace that offers direct access to buyers across states.
While Bihar’s lack of a traditional mandi system limits the scope of e-NAM’s standard integration model, the alternative mechanism developed by the state allows the inclusion of these products under special regulatory provisions. This arrangement has enabled Bihar’s producers to access a broader digital market infrastructure without reintroducing the APMC framework.
As e-NAM continues to expand, the addition of regionally important, GI certified products marks a step toward aligning digital market access with India’s diverse agro ecological zones and crop specializations.
