The apex body of cooperatives National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) organized an International Training Programme on Cooperation & Cooperative Management for the Cooperators of Mauritius in NCUI’s Board Room last week.
J.Goburdhun, High Commissioner of Mauritius was invited as the chief guest in the inaugural ceremony. While addressing the delegates he said ”I know National Cooperative Union of India since Sisodia’s days when he was the chairman of the apex body’.
Goburdhun highlighted the importance of the organic farming and shared his personal experiences in Mauritius such as doing the sugarcane farming in his half acre of land and earning Rs 65 thousand from 1 ton Sugarcane. Farmers are cultivating their land to provide food for the country but they are poor, he said.
He suggested that a MoU could be signed between NCUI & MCU (Mauritius Cooperative Union).
On this occasion NCUI, President, Chandra Pal Singh informed the delegates that ” India’s cooperative movement covers every field of life including 99 percent of villages. If we want to remove poverty we have to improve the standard of living of farmers” he said.
Cooperatives are working in the interest of the poor people or farmers. Cooperative banks are providing loans to farmers at cheap rates, Singh claimed.
Dr. Manoj Nardeo Singh, Asst Secretary General of African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), told the Mauritius delegation that they would learn a great deal about India’s cooperative movement through the five day training programme. He said India’s Cooperative movement consists of 6 lakh Cooperative Societies having 25 crore of people associated with it.
He said the training programme could help participants gain knowledge on management of cooperatives and implement their knowledge in their own country. NCUI is hosting the ICA A-P General Assembly which will take place in November 2016 in New Delhi, Singh informed.
NCUI, Chief Executive, N.Satyanaryana said cooperatives have played an important role in the country’s economy. He added India had signed MoUs with Mauritius in five areas during Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the African country.
The inaugural programme was attended by delegates from cooperatives in Mauritius, Fishcopfed, Managing Director, B.K.Mishra, NCCT, Secretary, Mohan Mishra, IFFCO, DGM, Tarun Bhargava, KRIBHCO Representatives, NCCE, Director, V K Dubey, NCUI Officials and others. Ramesh Kaul proposed a vote of thanks.