The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (Iffco) will open an e-bazaar in Koraput district to bring farmers under digital platform and to ensure that they get fertilisers.
Through the e-bazaar, to be opened at Kunduli haat (weekly market) under Pottangi block, Iffco will sell various types of fertilisers used by the farmers. Iffco has already signed an MoU with the Regional Market Committee (RMC) of Koraput for the purpose, officials said.
"At present, farmers are purchasing fertilisers from licensed traders in the market and most of the time they are being cheated in quality and quantity," said Susant Kumar Padhi, Secretary RMC, Koraput.
By purchasing fertiliser from the e-bazaar, the quality of fertiliser will not only be ensured but also there will never be shortage of fertiliser, he said.
Officials said the e-bazaar would be a place of cashless transaction. It would integrate the farmers with the digital platform and empower them by giving them access to knowledge and help them work together to get a better produce. The farmers would be provided agricultural inputs under a single roof.
Around 8,000 farmers of Pottangi and Semiliguda blocks in the district will be immediately benefited by the e-bazaar, they said.
The electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a pan-India electronic portal with network among the existing agricultural produce marketing committees, launched by the union government, has started functioning at Kunduli haat from this month.
Officials said produces like ginger and potato of the district had been included under the e-NAM and traders from across the country were purchasing these products through online bidding.
Over 2,000 farmers have so far been registered under e-NAM. "To encourage more farmers to enrol in e-NAM, we have launched programmes like free transportation of commodities to the haat, cash benefits for farmers and free medical check-up of farmers at the haat," said Padhi.
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