IFFCO promoted Multi-State Cooperative Society Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Limited (IFFDC) held its 25th AGM last week at the IFFCO headquarters in Delhi in which large number of cooperators connected with the co-op organization participated. IFFCO Chairman B S Nakai, while addressing the gathering said that, among others, IFFDC would do every bit to empower rural women.
IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi tweeted about the event in which he said that IFFCO Chairman Shri Balwinder Singh Nakia addressed the gathering. Awasthi added that IFFCO and its subsidiaries are ever committed to the service of rural India and farmers.
IFFDC came into being in 1993 with the prime objective of development of wasteland for tree plantation and to enhance the socio-economic status of rural poor through sustainable Natural Resource Management by collective action. Empowering rural Women has been at the centre of its strategy, claims its website.
To achieve this, IFFDC initially implemented afforestation and rural development projects in the States of the Country. It has implemented 30 Projects in collaboration with various National & International agencies so far. Rural Development Projects implemented by it has been worth more than Rs. 229 crore.
Driven by 178 member cooperatives with an annual turnover of Rs.1028 Crore, IFFDC has developed 230 Cooperatives so far and about 38% of them are women members.
It has also promoted Self Help Groups to the tune of 1,024 with total membership of 11,494 (92% women members) and wasteland afforested by it stands at 29,420 ha.
It is also leading in seed production and has planted roughly 141 lakh trees so far. Its other data are not less impressive such as Ensuring Livelihood Improvement – More than 4.30 lakh families; Area treated under Watershed Development – 15,667 ha; Water Resources Development – 213 Check Dams and 1025 Ponds.
On the occasion of its 25th AGM it had also organized an impressive exhibition to give visitors an idea of its activities. Awasthi and his team went around all the stalls to encourage the staff-members.