Answer

The ‘One Nation, One Market’ vision aims to create a unified agricultural market across India by removing trade barriers, enhancing price discovery, and ensuring farmers have access to broader markets. While initiatives like e-NAM and APMC reforms have advanced this goal, cooperative federalism is vital to balance state autonomy and national integration for its effective realization.

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India’s Agricultural Marketing Reforms Through Digital Initiatives: Progress

• e-NAM Implementation: Over 1,400 mandis in 27 states integrated into e-NAM, enabling farmers to access competitive pricing through transparent online bidding.
  For example: Karnataka’s Unified Market Platform facilitates online bidding, boosting farmers’ incomes and ensuring fair pricing.
• Agristack Project: Over 3.7 million farmer IDs created for a centralized digital platform, improving service delivery and decision-making.
  For example: Andhra Pradesh utilizes Agristack for crop insurance and subsidy distribution, reducing delays and ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Inter-State Trade Expansion: Increasing inter-state trade reduces market fragmentation, enabling farmers to sell their produce to buyers in other states.
  For example: Maharashtra farmers sold onions to Kerala buyers through e-NAM, bypassing local middlemen and achieving better prices.
• Private E-Trading Platforms: States allowing private e-trading platforms promote competition, driving innovation and market efficiency.
  For example: Madhya Pradesh authorized private e-trading platforms, increasing farmer access to multiple buyers and ensuring better price discovery.
• Draft National Policy Framework: Calls for barrier-free trade, promoting a unified agricultural market with competitive ecosystems and state collaboration.
  For instance: Rajasthan streamlined licensing under APMC reforms, allowing single trading licenses across mandis, reducing bureaucratic hurdles.

Challenges in Balancing State Autonomy with National Market Integration

• Federal Structure Limitations: Agriculture is a state subject, leading to policy variations that hinder seamless market integration.
• Uneven Reforms: States adopt reforms at different paces, creating disparities in market accessibility and pricing mechanisms.
• Resistance to Private Platforms: Limited adoption of private e-trading platforms due to APMC monopoly fears hampers market competitiveness.
• Technological Barriers: Lack of digital infrastructure and farmer training in many regions restricts the effective use of digital platforms.
• Coordination Challenges: Absence of a unified approach between the Centre and states delays reforms and creates policy gaps.

Role of Centre-State Cooperation in Achieving ‘One Nation, One Market’ Vision

• Policy Alignment: Effective Centre-State collaboration aligns state APMC laws with the national framework for unified agricultural marketing, reducing fragmentation.
  For example: The Centre’s draft policy facilitated a single trading license adopted by states like Maharashtra and Haryana, promoting inter-state trade.
• Consensus Building: Joint committees enhance trust, fostering agreement on reforms critical to removing barriers in agricultural markets.
  For example: An empowered committee of state agricultural ministers discussed e-NAM expansion, similar to the GST Council’s consensus-building approach.
• Resource Sharing: Centre can assist states with funding and expertise for infrastructure like e-trading platforms, enhancing integration efforts.
  For example: The Centre provided funding to states under e-NAM for integrating 1,400 markets across 27 states and Union Territories.
• Encouraging Competition: Collaborative frameworks promote healthy competition among states through indices like Ease of Doing Agri-trade for improving their agricultural trade policies.
  For example: A quarterly Ease of Doing Agri-trade index could rank states, incentivizing faster adoption of reforms.
• Customized Implementation: States retain flexibility in implementing reforms while adhering to overarching national goals, balancing federal autonomy and market integration.
  For example: Karnataka’s Rashtriya e-Market Services (ReMS) operates alongside e-NAM, reflecting state-specific customization under national guidelines.

Technological and Federal Aspects of Implementation of ‘One Nation, One Market’ Vision

• Digital Infrastructure Development: A robust pan-India network of e-platforms like e-NAM ensures transparent price discovery and inter-state trade growth.
  For example: e-NAM’s integration with 219 commodities allowed farmers in Gujarat to access markets in Rajasthan via digital bidding.
• Data Uniformity: Centralized data systems ensure uniformity in quality standards and trade processes across states for seamless trade.
  For example: Agristack’s creation of 3.7 million farmer IDs standardizes data for accurate crop assessments and trade facilitation nationwide.
• Interoperability of Platforms: Developing interoperable systems between state-run platforms and private e-trading platforms promotes a competitive digital ecosystem.
  For example: Maharashtra enabled private platforms like AgroStar to coexist with APMC markets under digital frameworks.
• Federal Challenges: States’ varying readiness levels in adopting digital reforms require balancing autonomy with incentivized compliance to avoid uneven development.
  For example: Punjab’s slow integration into e-NAM compared to Andhra Pradesh highlights disparities in digital readiness among states.
• Capacity Building: Joint training programs for state officials on digital tools ensure effective use of technology in agricultural marketing.
  For example: Workshops by the Centre for APMC officials in Uttar Pradesh improved their digital transaction capabilities within e-NAM.

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Achieving the ‘One Nation, One Market’ vision requires promoting Centre-State cooperation through transparent dialogue and incentivized federalism. Integrating technological advancements like e-NAM with state-specific agricultural reforms can ensure equitable benefits. A futuristic approach lies in developing a unified legal framework, strengthening digital infrastructure, and promoting stakeholder capacity-building to balance autonomy with national market integration effectively.

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