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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM67334
Volume:
10 |
9 |
Sep 2026
Pages:
1-5
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Management Studies
M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Department of Management Studies
M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Department of Management Studies
M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Digitalisation has increasingly been promoted as a means of improving agricultural marketing, reducing information asymmetry and enabling farmers to obtain better prices for their produce. In India, the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) was introduced in 2016 to create a unified electronic marketplace for agricultural commodities, drawing on the experience of Karnataka's Rashtriya e-Market Services (ReMS). However, the availability of digital platforms does not necessarily translate into their effective adoption by farmers. This study examines the adoption and usage of agricultural e-marketplaces among farmers in Karnataka and identifies the major barriers and enabling factors affecting their participation. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 344 farmers across all 31 districts of Karnataka. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were employed. The findings indicate that traditional mandis and traders remain the dominant channels for selling agricultural produce, while e-NAM has relatively low usage. Only 13.7 per cent of respondents reported awareness and use of e-NAM, compared with 54.4 per cent for ReMS. Education and mode of access were significantly associated with awareness, while adoption differed across age, land ownership and crop type. Knowledge-related barriers were stronger than infrastructural barriers, while training emerged as an important driver of progress. The findings highlight the need to shift the focus from technological availability alone towards farmer awareness, training, trust and last-mile support.
KEYWORDS
Agricultural e-marketplaces have considerable potential to improve transparency, market access and price realization for farmers. However, the findings from 344 farmers across Karnataka demonstrate that technological availability has not yet translated into widespread adoption, particularly in the case of e-NAM. Traditional mandis and traders remain dominant, while ReMS and private platforms have achieved comparatively greater engagement. The study establishes that knowledge barriers are more influential than infrastructural barriers, while training is a stronger driver of progress than infrastructure alone. Farmers also place greater importance on fair trading practices and assured payment than on cost reduction. The findings therefore suggest that successful agricultural digitalisation requires a farmer-centred approach combining technology with awareness, training, trust and local support. The study is subject to limitations. The sample was obtained through convenience sampling and included farmers who had used an e-marketing channel for at least six months; therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to completely non-digital users. The cross-sectional design also limits conclusions regarding the long-term effects of e-marketplaces. Future research could examine the reasons for exclusion among non-users and investigate how platform design and commodity characteristics influence adoption.
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Publication Date
9/17/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
Funding Information
Funding Agency: ICSSR(Indian Council of Social Science Research)
Grant / Project ID: 02/103/2021-22/ICSSR/RP/MN
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