e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi | 06 Mar 2024

Source: PIB

Recently, the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launched the ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ (Digital Gateway) of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) to leverage technology for easing farmers' warehousing logistics and ensuring fair prices for their produce.

  • The 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' platform simplifies the digital process, allowing farmers to store their produce at any registered WDRA warehouse for up to six months at 7% interest per annum.
    • This initiative, featuring a no collateral, extra security deposit policy, aims to prevent distress sales by farmers, enabling better post-harvest storage opportunities.
  • The Minister highlighted that the integration of e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi and e-NAM enables farmers to leverage interconnected markets, extending benefits beyond government Minimum Support Price (MSP).
  • WDRA was established in October 2010, under the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007, with the aim of developing and regulating warehouses, promoting negotiability of warehouse receipts, and facilitating orderly growth of the warehousing business in India.
    • WDRA operates as a statutory authority under the Department of Food and Public Distribution, with its headquarters located in New Delhi.

Read more: Minimum Support Price (MSP)