Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah convened a meeting on Saturday, instructing the National Cooperative Exports Ltd. (NCEL) to pursue an ambitious export goal of Rs 2 lakh crore. He emphasized the need to identify three specific products that are not currently being exported from India.
During a high-level review session in the national capital, Shah assessed the progress of three national cooperative institutions established in 2023. He urged NCEL to seek new export avenues for products such as sugar from cooperative mills, aromatic rice from Tripura, organic cotton, and coarse grains.
Furthermore, the Union Minister proposed forming partnerships with large companies to facilitate the export of fresh vegetables to Gulf countries, including special varieties of potatoes. He also recommended that NCEL establish offices in Africa and Myanmar specifically focused on importing pulses.
According to an official statement, “The minister has suggested setting up NCEL offices in Africa and Myanmar for pulses imports and developing a dedicated website for cooperative members.”
Shah directed that all exports from cooperative institutions should be funneled through NCEL, aiming for a turnover of approximately Rs 20,000-30,000 crore, which would benefit the cooperatives after accounting for taxes and operational expenses.
NCEL, which was established under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, reported a turnover of Rs 4,283 crore and a net profit of Rs 122 crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. It has expanded its export operations to 28 countries and has forged strategic agreements with 61 importers from nations including Senegal, Indonesia, and Nepal.
In reference to the National Cooperative Organics Ltd. (NCOL), which markets products under the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand through retailers like Amul and BigBasket, Shah set a target of surpassing Rs 300 crore in turnover for the 2025-26 financial year. He noted that these products will soon be available in Reliance stores nationwide. Additionally, he instructed NCOL to organize groups of certified organic farmers at the state level and integrate them at a larger scale.
Shah underscored the critical role of the Indian Seed Cooperative Society Ltd., known as Seeds of India, in bolstering the agricultural ecosystem. He highlighted the necessity to develop sugarcane varieties that have higher sugar content but require less water.
As per the statement, the Seed Research Centre in Kalol, Gujarat, will focus on creating high-yielding, low-maturity crop varieties that require less water, particularly for tur, urad, and maize.
Shah also pointed out the importance of establishing tissue culture facilities to ensure a supply of plants with high genetic potential for the leading ten banana-producing states. He urged BBSSL to develop seeds for Lachka fodder crops for distribution through the NDDB and Amul network, and emphasized the promotion of seed production for processing varieties like potatoes, particularly those used for French fries under the Seed Production Programme for Processing Varieties.
To guarantee the timely availability of breeder seeds, the Union Minister instructed the Ministry of Cooperation to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to secure the necessary supply of breeder seeds.
The meeting was attended by the Cooperation Secretary and the Managing Directors of the three cooperative institutions: Anupam Kaushik (NCEL), Vipul Mittal (NCOL), and Chetan Joshi (BBSSL).
