Indian farmers are getting technology-savvy day by day. Even as the first batch of Indian mangoes reached the US shelves last week, farmers here are betting on a major initiative to trade mangoes online.

The National Co-operative Dairy Federation of India will soon start online trading in mangoes.

The pilot project will be launched in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.

NCDF is talking to leading commodity exchanges like the Multi Commodity Exchange to work out the best online trading options to ensure that farmers get the bargaining power through technology.

Consortium of Indian Farmers Association, a major village level farmers movement in Andhra Pradesh, will be the facilitator for online trading.

Cifa secretary general P Chengal Reddy said that for the first time in the country, online trading for mangoes, is becoming a reality.

"This will help get the bargaining power for farmers who were hitherto falling to the middlemen's trap," he said.

He said Cifa has formed about eight mutually-aided cooperative societies in Chitoor alone. About 1,000 farmers with over 10,000 acre have enrolled in these registered societies.

When online trading is launched in mangoes, all these farmers are expected to immensely benefit, he said.

Reddy said Cifa is talking to MCX for creating the right online trading platform.

"Farmers expect a 25-30 per cent increase in the selling prices through the online trading mechanism," he said.