Page 42 - NIS English 1-15 April, 2026

NATION | National Economic Security

National Agricultural Market

Easy Market Access A Simple Digital Retail

for Farmers Payment Experience

The National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) has Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has simplified retail
connected farmers and traders through a transparent and payments. 640 million transactions are processed
competitive digital platform. This has provided them with daily. Launched on April 11, 2016, UPI is the story
more opportunities to sell their produce and is connecting of technology built for people, connecting lives and
agricultural markets across the country. This platform has economies around the world...
provided farmers with a cycle of economic security by giving
them the freedom to sell their produce at higher prices... merchants,
More Than million
transactions are 691 banks
processed daily 65 are live on
640 through UPI million UPI.

n 21.70 billion transactions worth ₹28.33 lakh
crore were processed in January 2026.
n In India, more than 81% of total retail payment
n Launched on April 14, 2016, agricultural produce transactions are processed through UPI.
worth more than ₹4.40 lakh crore has been traded on n UPI is also available in 8 other countries,
this platform. including Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal,
n Provides free mobile-based price information Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE.
services for 24/7 notified commodities through the
e-NAM mobile application. n The International Monetary Fund has
recognized that UPI is the world's largest retail
n This app shows farmers the prevailing prices and fast payment system by transaction volume.
accessibility maps of mandis within a 100 km radius.
n Facilitates quality testing of agricultural produce. n According to the ACI Worldwide Report, UPI
accounts for approximately 49% of global real
Provides infrastructure for cleaning, grading, sorting, time payment system transaction volume.
and packaging.
n A toll-free helpline number, 1800-270-0224, is
available to address farmers' issues related to e-NAM.
n Farmers' dependence on middlemen has decreased.
Bargaining power has strengthened. E-NAM is
contributing to the long-term development of India's
agricultural economy.

E-NAM Network
Mandis 1522
Tradable Agricultural 247
Commodities
States and Union Territories 27 nearly a fifth of the country’s total economy. Over
Registered Farmers 18 Million the past decade, under the leadership of Prime
Traders 2,72,000 Minister Narendra Modi, the country has wit-
Commission Agents 1,20,000 nessed remarkable technological advancements,
FPOs 4,698 establishing it as a global superpower. It has also
(Data as of February 28, 2026.) regulated the informal economy. Technology has
made money transactions more transparent. n

40 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || April 1-15, 2026