more-inIn the midst of adverse climatic conditions, 42 lakh farmers in Karnataka have registered for online trading under the Unified Marketing Platform (UMP) and are getting higher prices for their commodities in agricultural produce marketing committees (APMCs). The UMP, an initiative by the State government, has weeded out the role of middlemen in 157 APMCs. Till the launch of the UMP, middlemen cornered almost 75% of the final price, leaving a very little for farmers. Launched in 2014 by the Rashtriya e-Market Services (ReMS), the UMP facilitated interaction between traders and farmers. “Traders can quote prices online, which the farmers have a right to reject if it is not satisfactory,” the official said.

Source: The Hindu July 16, 2017 18:11 UTC