In News:Recently, Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated e-SANTA, an electronic marketplace for aqua farmers.
About e-SANTA
- Ministry: Minister for Commerce and Industry
- The term e-SANTA stands for Electronic Solution for Augmenting NaCSA farmers’ Trade in Aquaculture.
- e-SANTA is an electronic marketplace providing a platform to connect aqua farmers and buyers.
- e-SANTA is a completely paperless and end-to-end electronic trade platform between Farmers and exporters.
- e-SANTA will raise income, lifestyle, self-reliance, quality levels, traceability, and provide new options for aqua farmers.
- Platform will change the traditional way of carrying out business from a word of mouth basis to become more formalised & legally binding.
- e-SANTA will act as an alternative marketing tool between farmers & buyers by eliminating middlemen.
- The platform is available in many languages which will help the local population.
- National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) is an extension arm of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Govt. of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Significance of e-SANTA initiative for aqua farmers
- e-SANTA is a Digital Bridge to end the market divide and will act as an alternative marketing tool between farmers & buyers by eliminating middlemen.
- It will revolutionize traditional aquafarming by providing cashless, contactless and paperless electronic trade platforms between farmers and exporters.
- e-SANTA can become a tool to advertise collectively the kind of products the buyers, fishermen & fish producing organisations are harvesting, so people in India & internationally can know what is available & in the future, it can become an auction platform.
- e-SANTA website will change the life standards of our fishermen, bring in substantive improvements in their lives, and also enhance India’s reputation in the global trade.
- The portal will act as a bridge between the fishermen and buyers, within the country and abroad.
Significance of e-SANTA initiative for farmers
- The farmers have the freedom to list their produce and quote their price while the exporters have the freedom to list their requirements and also to choose the products based on their requirements such as desired size, location, harvest dates etc.
- This enables the farmers and buyers to have greater control over the trade and enables them to make informed decisions.
- The platform provides detailed specification of each product listing and it is backed by an end to end electronic payment system with NaCSA as an Escrow agent.
- After crop listing and online negotiation, a deal is struck, advance payment is made and an estimated invoice is generated.
- Once the harvest date is fixed, the buyer goes to the farm gate and the produce is harvested in his presence.
- Once the harvest is completed, the final count, quantity of material is verified, the final amount is decided and delivery challan is issued.
- Once the material reaches the processing plant, the final invoice is generated and the exporter makes the balance payment.
- This payment is reflected in the escrow account. NaCSA verifies it and accordingly releases the payment to farmers.
e-SANTA will RAISE the lives & income of farmers by:
- Reducing Risk
- Awareness of Products & Markets
- Increase in Income
- Shielding Against Wrong Practice
- Ease of Processes
Source: PIB & AIR
