Today, on 19 September 2024, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah will inaugurate transformative initiatives marking the first 100 days of the Ministry of Cooperation at a national-level conference in New Delhi’s ICAR Convention Centre.
The event, themed “Sahkar-se-Samriddhi,” will highlight initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s cooperative movement. Key announcements will include the release of a ‘Margdarshika,’ or action plan, for forming and strengthening 2 lakh new Multipurpose Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (MPACS), dairy, and fishery cooperative societies in uncovered villages and panchayats.
Additionally, the launch of the “Standard Operating Procedure on White Revolution 2.0” is poised to further bolster India’s dairy sector. The conference, featuring dignitaries like Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, & Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, is set to further Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperation).
With over 290 million people directly engaged in the cooperative sector, the government seeks to harness the potential of these community-based initiatives to strengthen India’s rural economy. The conference will outline strategies to accelerate the formation of MPACS, deepen cooperation among existing cooperatives, and drive White Revolution 2.0—an ambitious effort to increase milk production and uplift the dairy industry.
White Revolution 2.0 is expected to significantly transform rural livelihoods by increasing milk procurement to 1,000 lakh kilograms per day by 2029. Through this initiative, women and small-scale farmers will be empowered, job opportunities will multiply, and the cooperative sector will grow to encompass a broader swath of the rural population.
The initiative will leverage programs like the Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), as well as the upcoming NPDD 2.0. This framework will help ensure dairy cooperatives are well-equipped to meet rising demand, generating a multiplier effect throughout the rural economy.
A major component of the government’s cooperative agenda is the establishment of 70,000 new multipurpose PACS by 2029, including 56,500 new dairy cooperatives and 6,000 fisheries cooperatives.
Strengthening existing cooperatives will also play a pivotal role, with 46,500 dairy cooperatives and 5,500 fishery cooperatives set to benefit from schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). These efforts aim to bridge the gap in credit and services available at the grassroots level.
This summit will serve as a critical platform for advancing rural development by fostering collaboration and increasing agricultural productivity, with an emphasis on stabilizing farmers’ livelihoods.
Over 2,000 attendees, including cooperative leaders, government officials, and stakeholders from NABARD, FCI, and NDDB, will participate in the event to chart the future of cooperative-led economic growth.