Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the inclusion of these seven products on the e-NAM platform, taking the total number of products on the online platform to 238.
The Centre has decided to add seven more products — Marcha rice, Katarni rice, Jardaalu mango, Shahi litchi, Magahi paan, Banarasi paan and sugarcane — on the e-NAM platform, taking the total commodities allowed for online trading to 238. The decision seems aimed at wooing farmers of Bihar, where these products are grown. Many of them carry Geographical Indication (GI) tags, marking their uniqueness to a specific area.
Bihar, which is scheduled to go to polls in October-November, does not have a mandi (agriculture market yard) system as it had scrapped the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) law decades ago. e-NAM is an online integration of mandis, offering farmers the choice of physical or online trading.
However, sources said that the Centre has little say in this as it was based on the recommendation sent by the State. Bihar has 20 mandis connected with e-NAM under a separate provision the State government has created to regulate 53 such market yards, the sources added.
Marcha rice is a short, aromatic variety grown in Bihar’s West Champaran district, where some people locally call it Mircha rice. It has received the GI tag. Another aromatic, short-grain variety — Katarni rice — has also been awarded the GI tag and is mainly grown in Bhagalpur and Banka districts.
Jardalu mango, a celebrated variety of Bhagalpur region, has a pale yellow skin and delicious taste, having juicy pulp. Magahi paan (betel leaf) is a unique soft and juicy leaf variety having a GI tag grown in the erstwhile Magadh region comprising Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Arwal districts. Magahi betel leaf is used to make Banarasi paan, which is the end product consumed ahd got a GI tag.
Shahi litchi, known for its sweetness, aromatic fragrance, and juicy pulp, is grown in Muzaffarpur district and holds a GI tag as well.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the inclusion of these seven products on the e-NAM platform, taking the total number of products on the online platform to 238. “This move will assure farmers better market access, better pricing and improved quality, thereby boosting their economic well-being,” according to an official statement.
The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) under the agriculture ministry has prepared tradable parameters for these products. It has also revised the parameters of four existing products — water chestnut flour, baby corn and dragon fruit, based on the requests and feedback received from stakeholders.
The Centre had launched eNAM in 2016, connecting mandis to enhance market efficiency and farmer income through technology-enabled transparent bidding and real-time price discovery.
Published on July 10, 2025