COOPERATIVES societies can be the instrument of rural development particularly agriculture, said Minister of State for Agriculture Parsottham Rupala said on Wednesday. He was addressing the first general body meeting of the Cooperative Sector Exports Promotion Council (COOPEXCIL). In his address, the Union Minister Psrsottham Rupala said “Numerous economic opportunities are available for the youth in the cooperative sector. But not many are coming forward.

 

They think that cooperatives are some old-fashioned concept run by elderly people. It is our responsibility to introspect how to make them part of the cooperatives which holds huge potential to push the country and economic growth. In fact, cooperatives are the instrument of change in the society particularly agriculture”. The first-ever COOPEXCIL has been set up under the stewardship of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), a cooperative focused financial organisation under the Union Agriculture Ministry to show direction to the cooperatives in exporting their value-added products.

 

National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) President Dileep Sanghani said that cooperative should be taken up as a movement so that local people are economically empowered to attain the dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The Union Minister also felt that cooperatives can play a significant role in achieving India’s target of becoming a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2024-25 as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of 5 trillion US Dollar economy by 2024-25. Cooperatives of all types have a big role in achievement of this target. Our farmers have proved it time and again, particularly during the pandemic, that their contribution to the GDP has been the best,” said Parsottham Rupala. Rupala also advised the General Body of COOPEXCIL which has representation from all stakeholders like APEDA, MPEDA, IFFCO, NAFED, TRIFED etc to have an advisory body and its own Secretary General and Secretariat, with NCDC playing the role of promoter of the body and to make its resources available to the Council. Managing Director of NCDC Sundeep Nayak while acknowledging the support of all partners said that the Council would play the role of facilitator for cooperatives to export their products. The youth targeted program of NCDC, YUVA SAHAKAR will be a key driver, he added.