1Department of Agricultural Economics, Uttar Banga Krushi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, Pundibari-736 165, West Bengal, India
2Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, Uttar Pradesh, India
The government of India launched e-NAM in 2016 with the concept to unify nationwide agricultural markets by creating a central online platform. More than six years have passed since the inception of the scheme, yet the studies claim the unawareness among stakeholders regarding e-NAM. Thus, the present study is an attempt to assess the level of awareness about e-NAM in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal among Jute farmers.
The study was conducted with the help of primary data collected from 80 farmers of Cooch Behar district, selected through a multistage sampling technique. Awareness level is operationalised on a percentage basis and logistic regression is used to examine the factors affecting awareness about e-NAM.
The findings revealed that 56.25 per cent of sample farmers were found unaware, 23.75 per cent were moderately aware and 20 per cent were aware of the e-NAM. The farmers were unaware of the basic facilities and technologies available under e-NAM. The significant factors affecting awareness are access to market information, education level, distance to the nearest mandi and participation at training/awareness camps. The concerned APMCs should put extra effort into raising awareness of e-marketing.
Awareness level, E-NAM, Logistic regression, Multi-stage sampling
