Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, addressing the Board of Directors of National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF) today in the Capital, said that the NCCF should tie up with Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) for the purchase of onions and pulses, so that arrangements for their storage can be made under the world’s largest storage scheme in the cooperative sector. He also asked the NCCF to explore export opportunities for agricultural products.

Often seasonal shortage of onions or other agro products have led to inflationary trends in the country.

Shah asked the NCCF to find export opportunities for pulses purchased from farmers while ensuring that the purchases are made at Minimum Support Price (MSP). He also stressed on adopting aggressive extension and marketing, purchasing by giving prior assurance to farmers and setting up common collection centres.

The minister also said the NCCF should become self-reliant by achieving a turnover of Rs 50,000 crore by the year 2027-28. The minister added that NCCF should aim to include PACS and other cooperative institutions as its members. This will help in ensuring that the proportion of cooperatives in the share of capital of NCCF is higher.

NCCF should prepare a roadmap for the next 10 years, Shah said, adding that the government has taken several steps to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country and increase the share of cooperatives in the GDP.

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