About eSanta of NaCSA-MPEDA:

National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA) is an extension arm of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Govt. of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The objectives of NaCSA are to encourage and uplift the small and marginal farmers through organization of clusters and maintaining Best Management Practices in shrimp culture.

The primary advantage of cluster approach to shrimp farming is that it enables participating farmers to organize the schedule of farm operations, quality seed procurement, simultaneous stocking, water exchange and harvesting regimes contributing to substantial reduction in cost of production and also prevention of vertical and intra cluster transmission of disease. The aqua societies ensure social and environmental responsibility, and food safety. NaCSA has registered 752 societies in nine coastal states of India comprising 18211 farmers and a total culture area of 16632 hectares. NaCSA has 620 active societies as on now and production from these societies was 40,000 tons- 50,000 tons on an average/year. The small and marginal farmers of aqua farming are facing difficult to get best price from the market. The aqua products are generally exported to EU, America, Japan, China & other Asian countries through exporters of our country to get the best value. Sometimes these farmers are being harassed and not getting the best value of the product.

NaCSA has taken the initiative to build a bridge between Aqua farmers and buyers to interact directly and buy the produce directly from farmers and to eliminate the middle man completely. It led the idea to form an e-commerce platform to help the society farmers and developed eSanta portal for a cosy environment among seller and buyer with help of NaCSA. The term eSanta coined by our Hon’ble Chairman Sir, which depicts the electronic market for aqua farmers. It enables widely dispersed buyers and farmers to interact and execute purchase transactions. Each step in the eSanta process is captured electronically, and all transaction data is routed through ESCROW account, reducing risk and time for completion of the process between seller (aqua farmer) and buyer (exporter).