For farmers and farm advisors
The price on the board.
And the price you actually get.
Mandi bhav is quoted per quintal, by grade, before commission, labour and transport. The gap between the headline and your bank account is where most of the money is lost.
Price literacy first. Live rates are published by the APMCs and the eNAM portal.
- Explains every deduction, not just the rate
- Built around official APMC price records
- Crop planning by season, not by rumour
- No price predictions dressed up as certainty
What you can work out
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The real per-quintal return
Modal price minus commission, labour, weighing and transport. A rate that is two hundred rupees higher in a mandi forty kilometres away is often the worse deal.
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Grade and variety
The same crop sells at different prices by variety and grade. Reading the record correctly tells you which line applies to what you actually harvested.
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Arrivals and timing
Price often moves with the volume arriving that day. Knowing the arrival pattern of your local mandi is useful even without a forecast.
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MSP versus market rate
Minimum support price is a floor only where procurement actually happens for that crop. Confusing the two is how farmers plan a sale that cannot occur.
How to read a mandi price record
| Field | What it means | How people misread it |
|---|---|---|
| Commodity and variety | The crop and the specific type traded | Taking a price for a different variety as your own |
| Grade | Quality band, often A / B / C or local terms | Quoting the top grade when your lot is mixed |
| Min / max price | The range actually traded that day | Assuming the max is available to everyone |
| Modal price | The most common traded price | Treating it as a guaranteed offer |
| Arrivals | Quantity that reached the mandi | Ignoring supply when deciding when to sell |
Why the board price is not your price
A mandi quote is a starting point. Between the board and your account sit commission, labour, weighing, bagging, transport and sometimes a deduction for moisture or foreign matter. On a small lot these can remove a tenth or more of the headline value. Work them out before you compare two mandis, or you will drive further for less.
- Ask the commission agent for the full deduction list in writing before unloading.
- Weigh your own bags before leaving the farm, and note the count.
- Compare net realisation, not the quoted rate.
- Keep the sale slip — it is the only record of what was actually deducted.
A calmer selling routine
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Check the record for your mandi
Look at modality, grade and arrivals for the last several sessions, not one day.
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Estimate net realisation
Subtract commission, labour, transport and bagging from the modal price. That is the number to compare.
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Compare two or three mandis
Only after the deductions. Distance is a cost, and a higher quote nearby is often the same money.
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Record the sale
Weight, grade, rate, deductions and net amount. Next season, that record is worth more than any forecast.
About the data
Where do mandi prices come from?
Agricultural produce market committees publish daily trade records, and the eNAM portal aggregates them for participating mandis. Those are official records of what traded, not offers. We build on them rather than inventing a number.
Can you tell me tomorrow's price?
No, and be sceptical of anyone who says they can. Prices depend on arrivals, weather, demand and policy. What can be done honestly is explain the record, the deductions and the season pattern so your decision is better informed.
Is MSP guaranteed?
Minimum support price is a floor only where procurement is actually organised for that crop in your state. For many crops it is a reference, not a buyer standing at the gate. Check the procurement status for your crop before planning around it.
Does this replace the commission agent?
No. The agent handles logistics and buyers at the mandi. What this gives you is enough understanding to question a deduction and compare a net figure. That conversation is the product.
Sell on the number that reaches your account.
Understand the deductions once, and every sale after that is easier to judge.