Department of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business

What Department of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business does

The Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business is a state government department under the Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered in Guindy, Chennai, and established in 1977. It functions as the regulatory and infrastructure backbone for agricultural marketing in the state, enforcing the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1987 through 278 Regulated Markets operating under 23 Market Committees. Its core mandate is to ensure remunerative prices to farmers by eliminating middlemen, disseminating market intelligence, and providing post-harvest infrastructure including 111 cold storage units (13,565 MT capacity), 194+ Uzhavar Santhai direct farmer-to-consumer markets, and a network of Direct Procurement Centres. The department's scope broadened in 2001 when it was reconstituted from the Department of Agricultural Marketing to incorporate agri-export facilitation, food processing, and value addition functions.

The technology layer consists of digital platforms including the Agricultural Market Reporting System (AMRS), the Godown Management System (GMS), the Kisan Suvidha mobile application, and integration with the national electronic trading platform e-NAM and the AGMARKNET price dissemination portal. The department supports 165 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) via the Tamil Nadu Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (TNSFAC) and runs Food Park infrastructure including a 50-acre Mega Food Park at Gangaikondan (Rs. 77.02 Crore), 7 Agro Processing Clusters (Rs. 191.88 Crore), and an International Flower Auction Centre at Hosur. It administers Agmark quality grading through 31 laboratories covering 223 commodities, holds 7 registered Geographical Indications for state produce (with 33 pending applications), and operates the TNSAMB Training Centre at Salem for capacity building.

The revenue model is structurally hybrid. Market fees of 1% on the sale value of agricultural produce are collected from traders in regulated markets and constitute the primary revenue stream for market committee operations, supplemented by license fees from traders and weighmen, and grading charges for Agmark certification services. Notably, no fee is charged from farmers for market services. As a government department, the entity is primarily funded through state budget allocations and central grants (from MoFPI under PMKSY, APEDA, and NABARD), with two key related statutory entities: Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board (TNSAMB, constituted 1970) and TNSFAC. The department has no private ownership and is not subject to commercial market dynamics.

Name

Department of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business

Legal name

Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business

Website

https://agrimark.tn.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business is a Tamil Nadu state government department regulating agricultural marketing via 278 regulated markets, 194+ Uzhavar Santhai farmer markets, cold storage, Agmark grading, and 165 FPOs, serving farmers, traders, and consumers across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Marketing Services

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture Inputs & Farm Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural marketing services
• Regulated market infrastructure
• Agmark quality certification
• Cold storage facilities
• Farmer producer organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Guindy

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Market Fee Collection: One percent of sale value of produce is collected as market fee from traders. This is the primary revenue stream for market committee operations.
2. License Fee: License fee collected from traders and weighmen operating in regulated markets
3. Agmark Grading Charges: Grading charges collected for quality certification of agricultural commodities. During 2018-19, grading charges of Rs. 79.78 lakhs was collected as state revenue from grading 23.58 lakh quintals.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business operates a statewide agricultural marketing infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, providing 278 Regulated Markets and 194+ Uzhavar Santhai direct farmer-to-consumer markets under the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act 1987. It supports farmers through cold storage facilities (17,527 MT total capacity), Agmark quality certification across 223 commodities, and 165 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for collective marketing. The department also runs digital platforms (AMRS, GMS, Kisan Suvidha App) integrated with national e-NAM, and operates food processing parks, agro clusters, and GI registration services for agricultural produce.

Product overview

The Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business operates a comprehensive agricultural marketing infrastructure platform in Tamil Nadu. The core system consists of physical market infrastructure (278 Regulated Markets and 194+ Uzhavar Santhai direct-to-consumer markets) supported by cold storage facilities (17,527 MT total capacity), Agmark grading services, and Food Parks. Digital products include the Godown Management System (GMS) portal and Agricultural Market Reporting System (AMRS) with mobile applications (Kisan Suvidha App, IMS App). The department supports 165+ Farmer Producer Organizations and provides GI registration services for agricultural produces. Integration with national platforms like e-NAM, AGMARKNET, and AGRISNET enables pan-India market access. The TNSAMB Training Centre provides capacity building for officials and farmers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Cold storage capacity of 17,527 MT across the state
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Isha OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Supported Palamalai FPO in opening fourth retail outlet at Thondamuthur in Coimbatore. Partnership for farmer welfare and direct marketing initiatives.
• Small Farmers Agri Business Consortium (SFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing FPO promotion schemes based on SFAC process guidelines. 165 FPOs promoted through TNSFAC under NADP, NMSA schemes. SFAC provides technical guidance and scheme framework for farmer organization development.
• National Agro Foundation (NAF)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting FPO formation. Multiple FPOs promoted with NAF support including Thangathamarai Producer Company, Kanchi Anaithu Vivasayigal Producer Company, and 20+ others across Tamil Nadu.
• Kalanjium Thozhilagam Ltd (KTL)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting multiple FPOs including TRICHY Pasumai Groundnut Producer Company, Sivagangai Coconut Producer Company, and 40+ others. Provides technical and business development support.
• e-NAM (Electronic National Agricultural Market)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational electronic trading platform integrated with state regulated markets for pan-India agricultural commodity trading. Part of digital marketing infrastructure.
• Vrutti Livelihood Resource CentremajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting multiple FPOs including Dharmapuri District Minor Millet FPO, Narkani Uzhavar Producer Company, and 15+ others. Focus on livelihood improvement and market linkages.
• Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems (CIKS)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting FPOs in Tamil Nadu. Promoted 30+ FPOs including Rajarajachozhan Farmer Producer Company, Peravurani Coconut Agro Producer Company, and others.
• Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting FPOs in Krishnagiri, Salem, and other districts. Promoted Krishnagiri Mango Producer Company, Kalvarayan Farmer Producer Company, and 10+ others.
• Social Education Economical Development Society (SEEDS)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResource institution supporting multiple FPOs including Virudhunagar-based companies, Kariapatti Millets FPO, and 20+ others across Tamil Nadu.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB): Maharashtra's apex agricultural marketing body operating main and sub-market yards across the state. Comparable in scale and mandate to the Tamil Nadu department, with a stronger export focus through its direct-exporting farmer-cluster model.
• e-NAM (Electronic National Agricultural Market): Pan-India electronic trading portal integrating APMC mandis. The Tamil Nadu department participates in e-NAM for its regulated markets, making it a peer as well as a participant — both operate in the same market infrastructure layer with complementary roles.
• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC): Autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture promoting FPOs and agribusiness. Directly comparable as it implements the same SFAC scheme framework that TNSFAC uses to promote 165 FPOs, with overlapping national-level mandate on farmer collectivization.
• Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing Board: Karnataka's state-level APMC and market infrastructure body operating under the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act. Most direct functional parallel to the Tamil Nadu department in terms of regulated market operations, FPO promotion, and price dissemination.

Broad incumbents

• Food Corporation of India (FCI): Central government body for food grain procurement, storage, and distribution. Comparable infrastructure scale (godowns, cold storage) and government-mandate function, though FCI focuses on food security procurement rather than market regulation.
• National Horticulture Board (NHB): National autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture promoting horticulture development. Comparable in cold storage development and GI tagging support, and directly relevant to the International Flower Auction Centre at Hosur which serves NHB-aligned horticulture clusters.
• NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India): National-level cooperative marketing federation handling procurement, distribution, and export of agricultural produce. Operates at a broader national scale than the Tamil Nadu department but with overlapping functions in market intervention and price stabilization.
• APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority): Statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce promoting agricultural exports. Comparable in supporting Tamil Nadu's cold storage development and GI registration efforts, but with a national export-promotion mandate rather than state-level market operation.

Regional players

• TANCMARK (Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation): Tamil Nadu's state-level cooperative marketing federation operating within the same state. Adjacent in function (agricultural produce marketing) but structured as a cooperative rather than a government department, providing parallel coverage of the same farmer base.
• Uttar Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board: Uttar Pradesh's state marketing board and mandi infrastructure operator under the UP Krishi Utpadan Mandi Adhiniyam. Comparable in mandate and regulatory framework to Tamil Nadu's department, but operating in a different geography with different crop profiles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tnagrimarketing
• Facebookfacebook.com/pfbid05SYdW1yP5ir573zcgCzjqZAvm281BYjH8mfJVvprnQkA3dV7urVxLEA85Dz1p9xWl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agricuture

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Agriculture Marketing & Agri Business