The ‘Falakata Krishak Bazaar’ in Alipurduar district has started gaining popularity among farmers after the introduction of the e-trading system in the market on Monday.

The Bazaar was inaugurated on 1 April, 2015 and got enlisted among the 479 agriculture markets in the national market list on Monday.

The market, which is run by the Alipurduar Regulated Market Committee, is the only market in the district which has found a place in the national market list through the government portal ‘e- NAM’ (National Agricultural Market).

Farmers from nearby areas can now easily sell their produce in any of the 479 agriculture markets in the country through ‘e-NAM,’ it is learnt.

According to officials at the market, a farmer sold 40 quintals of potato at Rs 9 per kg on the very first day after entering the national market.

“I sold 40 quintals of potato at Rs 9 per kg. The price of potato in the local wholesale market is much less than for what I sold at the national market,” said farmer Gobinda Barman.

“Now we can sell our produce in any of the 479 agriculture markets in the country. The e-trading facility is a real blessing for us,” he added.

The produce once sold will be sent to the buyers through a transport agency registered with the e-NAM web portal.

The seller, buyer and transport agency together make a bid on the web portal and a deal will take place.

E-NAM is a government web portal through which 479 agriculture markets in the country is connected.

Registered buyers and sellers in the portal can bid for the produces available in any of the connected 479 agriculture markets online. The produce can be sold through online transactions, it is learnt.

“Falakata Krishak Bazaar is the only market in the district which has entered the national market through the ‘e-Nam’ trading system.

Buyers and sellers registered in the market can now sell or buy agriculture produce in the 479 markets in the country,” the secretary of the Alipurduar Regulated Market committee, Subrata Kumar Dey, said.

Meanwhile, the Market Committee will hold a meeting on the details of the online trading system on 4 April in the Mayradanga village under the Falakata police station.

Local farmers’ clubs, farmers, Self Help Group members and local Panchayat authorities are scheduled to attend the meeting, it is learnt.

At present there are 479 agriculture markets in 14 states in India where the central government has introduced e-trading through the ‘e-Nam’ web portal.

There are 17 agriculture markets in the state where the same system has been introduced, it is learnt.