Dehaat

PoC (Proof of Concept)-Digital Market Linkage Solution in Himachal Pradesh

(The collaboration between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA and Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project (HPCDP) has led to the initiation of a Proof of Concept (PoC) project titled "Digital Solutions in Agriculture in Himachal Pradesh.)

Under the Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project (HPCDP) supported by JICA, DeHaat successfully implemented a Proof of Concept (PoC) on Digital Market Linkage Solutions to connect farmers directly with markets, improve price realization and reduce dependence on traditional intermediaries. The pilot was implemented during January 2024 to December 2024 across four collection centers in Solan and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Key Highlights of the Initiative

  •  1,797 farmers digitally onboarded and connected with market opportunities.
  •  280 baseline surveys conducted to understand farmer needs, market challenges and opportunities.
  • 1,500 farmers engaged through digital price discovery platforms, enabling informed selling decisions.
  • 450 farmers reached through field meetings, awareness campaigns and capacity-building activities.
  • 752 farmers successfully transacted through the DeHaat platform, demonstrating strong adoption of digital market linkages.
  • 79 trade days organized during the pilot period.
  • 219.6 metric tonnes of vegetables traded, including tomato, capsicum, peas, beans and cabbage.
  • Farmers achieved an average 12.8% higher price realization compared to traditional marketing channels.

Digital Innovations Introduced

The initiative leveraged a combination of digital and field-based interventions to support farmers:

  • Real-time Price Discovery Module providing mandi and buyer prices.
  • Demand Forecasting Module connecting farmers with market demand.
  • WhatsApp and IVR-based advisories delivering market information directly to farmers.
  • Dedicated call center support for trade facilitation and farmer engagement.
  • Development of a live dashboard for monitoring farmer participation, transactions and market performance.

Strengthening Market Access

Collection centers established at Bairtee and Kandaghat (Solan) and Balh and Gohar (Mandi) served as aggregation hubs for farmers, reducing transportation costs and improving quality management.
The platform facilitated direct linkages with organized buyers, helping farmers access reliable markets, faster payments and transparent pricing mechanisms.

Impact on Farmers

The pilot demonstrated that digital solutions can significantly improve agricultural marketing by:

  • Enhancing farmer access to market information.
  • Reducing dependence on intermediaries.
  • Improving price realization and income.
  • Strengthening supply chain efficiency.
  • Promoting transparent and structured trade practices.
  • Building confidence among farmers to participate in organized markets.