Prices of certain agricultural products will now be made available digitally for both producers and consumers. This is made possible with the Agriculture Ministry launching the Agriculture Market Information System (AMIS), today. It is accessible through internet browser as well as mobile apps.
First of its kind in the country, the online system will have real-time prices of 37 commodities located in 23 markets across the country. It will also have information on the latest auction market prices linked through the Food Corporation of Bhutan (FCB).
The service, according to the Agriculture Ministry, will help improve bargaining power and awareness of market opportunities and options of both producers and consumers.
The Agriculture and Forests Minister, Yeshey Penjor shares the benefit of the AMIS. “It is important to know the type of produce that grows in a particular area, its demand and real-time market price. Now, our farmers can view auction prices with a push of a button and decide their business. There have been incidences where the market ecosystem was disrupted due to communication gaps. For instance, farmers in one place failed to supply their produce to places where the demand was high. As a result, their products went to waste. On the other hand, consumers were paying extra to get the same products. So I believe AMIS will solve such problems,” Lyonpo said.
Respective agriculture extension officers will collect the information from the 23 listed markets and update it on the website and app on a weekly basis. The ministry hopes to expand its reach over time and improve the agriculture ecosystem connecting farmers with market and buyers.
For now, AMIS is available for users of Android operated mobile devices. It can be accessed through a web browser – www.amis.gov.bt
The system was developed with financial support from the European Union under the framework of EU-Bhutan Trade Support Project.
Tshering Dendup
