Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Address National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce on November 8

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, is set to address the National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce organized by the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) at the ICAR Convention Centre in Pusa, New Delhi on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

During the symposium, Amit Shah will also launch NCOL's logo, website, and brochure and distribute membership certificates to NCOL members. The event will focus on discussing the objectives of NCOL, the importance of organic produce, and the role of cooperative societies in uplifting small and marginal farmers.

NCOL, established in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi,’ aims to become a national-level multi-state cooperative society to position India as a global leader in organic products. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, the Ministry of Cooperation has undertaken 54 initiatives in the last 27 months to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.

The establishment of a national-level cooperative for promoting organic products represents a significant step towards boosting the rural economy, promoting ‘Make in India,’ and advancing the concepts of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Local to Global.’ NCOL's primary objective is to increase the returns on organic produce while providing direct market access to organic farmers and producer organizations. By offering access to both national and international markets under a strong brand, NCOL aims to secure better returns for its members' organic products.

The organization will serve as an umbrella entity, overseeing the entire supply chain of organic products produced by various cooperative societies and related institutions across India in collaboration with the relevant ministries of the Government of India, following a 'Whole of Government Approach.' NCOL will handle the aggregation, branding, and marketing of organic products produced by cooperatives. Any cooperative society or association of persons, as permitted by the Central Registrar, can become a member of NCOL. Currently, approximately 2,000 cooperative societies have already become members of NCOL or have applied for membership.

NCOL's objectives will be achieved through various activities, including creating a knowledge repository, conducting research and development, and providing support to the cooperative sector and associated companies involved in the production of organic products. This support includes financing, capacity building, technical guidance, and the establishment and maintenance of market intelligence systems.

More than 1,000 participants are expected to attend the Symposium, including NCOL members, officials from the Government of India and various states and union territories, representatives from MSCS (Multi-State Cooperative Societies), FIs (Financial Institutions), Cooperative Unions, District Cooperative Unions, Organic Certification Bodies, and testing laboratories, experts from the organic sector, and other stakeholders from across the country. A large number of participants will also join the event virtually.

NCOL was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, on January 25, 2023. The organization is jointly promoted by three major cooperative societies in India: the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), and two major statutory bodies of the Government of India: the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).