To increase agricultural produce trade in Asia and the Pacific countries, India hosted a two-day meet of the general assembly of Network for Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and Pacific (NEDAC) to chalk out a strategy for regional trade. NEDAC also adopted a new constitution on Thursday.
While inaugurating the assembly Parshottam K Rupala, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Panchayatiraj, said, “Realising the need to enhance the farmers income to address agrarian distress and promotes farmers welfare Prime Minister has embarked on a mission for doubling farmers income by 2022.” He further said that the cooperatives have exhibited better performance and are living success stories to enhance production and better returns to produce from market through collective action. He added that the India is determined to improve productivity of agriculture products and use resources effectively and improve trade for farmers.
To establish marketing linkages among cooperatives in the ASEAN countries fro possible business undertaking of their agricultural products, Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Managing Director of National Cooperative Development Corporation said India has hosted the event with an objective to increase trade between cooperatives of two or multiple countries. “Through this, we will be able stimulate the capabilities and training human resources at all levels and accelerate development through a more efficient utilisation of human, physical and financial resources available,” Nayak said.
The general assembly of 22 prominent cooperative organizations from eight countries unanimously decided to focus on cooperatives to cooperatives and capacity development to meet challenges of climate change as transformative cooperatives.
NEDAC was set up in 1991 by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Cooperative Alliance(ICA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Similarly, Orlado R. Ravanera, Chairman, Cooperative Development Authority, Philippines and Co-Chairman NEDAC hoped that the cooperatives of Asia and the Pacific must come together to face the challenges of climate change and linked violent extremism.
