NEDAC’s Bangkok meeting comes up with Master Plan

NCDC’s efforts to make the Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC) vibrant received a huge boost during the Executive Committee meeting of FAO-NEDAC held last week in Bangkok. The members brainstormed for three days and came up with a Masterplan which capsules the NEDAC growth plan for the next three years.

While Ambassador of India to Thailand Mrs Suchitra Durai addressed the Executive Committee meeting of FAO-NEDAC, cooperators in large numbers participated in a flamboyant roadshow. Cooperators also had a chance to see a dedicated cooperative market spread over 220 acres in Bangkok.

The Executive Committee meeting decided to organize and showcase International Cooperatives Trade Fair at New Delhi on 11-13 October 2019. The proposed mega event is becoming the talk of the town as leading cooperatives of member states are eager to participate in the event, says NCDC MD Sundeep Nayak who is the current Chairman of NEDAC.

More than 29 delegates from 9 countries participated in the meeting. Besides Nayak, the Bangkok Executive Committee meeting was attended by NCUI Chief Executive N Satyanarayana, NAFSCOB MD Bhima Subramaniyam, Chairmen and MDs of Telangana and Karnataka State Co-op Banks, among others from India. Panuwatcna Executive Secretary of Thai Government’s Cooperative Department played the local host.

Talking to Indian Cooperative about the meeting, NCUI Chief Executive N Satayanarayan said on the first day members discussed how to achieve cooperative to cooperative business through NEDAC. It was a detailed discussion where even the minutest points were taken into consideration, he added.

On the second day, apart from giving the go ahead to the master plan the members made digital presentations on best practices being followed in cooperatives in various countries of the world. The NEDAC T-Shirts worn by members during the roadshow was a hilarious sight, recalled Satyanarayan.

Calling the meeting an excellent exercise, Satyanarayan was full of praise for NCDC Managing Director and said that Nayak’s personal enthusiasm was at its best. “If he continues in NCDC for next 2-3 years you can expect NEDAC to do roaring C2C business across the world”, he underlined.

It bears recall that NCDC MD and his team hosted the General Assembly of NEDAC on 15-16th November in Delhi and set the ball rolling. NEDAC was set up in 1991 under FAO but for the last few years it had failed to make any headway.