National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED) was established on the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October 1958. Nafed is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act. Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers. Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of Nafed. The objects of the NAFED shall be to organise, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake inter-State, import and export trade, wholesale or retail as the case may be and to act and assist for technical advice in agricultural production for the promotion and the working of its members and cooperative marketing, processing and supply societies in India. In furtherance of these objectives, the NAFED may undertake one or more of the following activities : -to facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions in agricultural and other commodities, articles and goods; -to undertake or promote on its own or on behalf of its member Institutions or the Government or Government Organisations, Inter-State and international trade and commerce and undertake, wherever necessary, sale, purchase, import, export and distribution of agricultural commodities, horticultural and forest produce, other articles and goods from various sources for pursuing its business activities and to act as the agency for canalisation of export and import and interstate trade of agricultural and other commodities or articles under any scheme formulated by the Government of India or other Government agencies and to facilitate these activities, wherever necessary, to open branches/sub-offices and appoint agents at any place within the country or abroad; -to undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural products, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertiliser, agricultural implements and machinery, packing machinery, construction requisites, processing machinery for agricultural commodities, forest produce, dairy, wool and other animal products; -to act as warehouseman under the Warehousing Act and own and construct its own godowns and cold storages; -to act as agent of any Government agency or cooperative institution, for the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural, horticultural, forest and animal husbandry produce, wool, agricultural requisites and other consumer goods; -to act as insurance agent and to undertake all such work which is incidental to the same; -to organise consultancy work in various fields for the benefit of the cooperative institutions in general and for its members in particular; -to undertake manufacture of agricultural machinery and implements, processing, packing, etc. and other production requisites and consumer articles by setting up manufacturing units either directly or in collaboration or as a joint venture with any other agency, including import and distribution of spare-parts and components to up-keep of the machinery/implements; -to set up storage units for storing various commodities and goods, by itself or in collaboration with any other agency in India or abroad; -to maintain transport units of its own or in collaboration with any other organisation in India or abroad for movement of goods on land, sea, air etc.; -to collaborate with any international agency or a foreign body for development of cooperative marketing, processing and other activities for mutual advantage in India or abroad; -to undertake marketing research and dissemination of market intelligence; -to subscribe to the share capital of other cooperative institutions as well as other public, joint and private sector enterprises if and when considered necessary for fulfilling the objectives of NAFED. -to arrange for the training of employees of marketing/processing/supply cooperative societies; -to maintain common cadres/pools of managerial/technical personnel required by the marketing/processing/supply cooperative societies; -to establish processing units for processing of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce and wool; -to undertake grading, packing and standardisation of agricultural produce and other articles; -to acquire, take on lease or hire, lands, buildings, fixtures and vehicles and to sell, give on lease or hire them for the business of NAFED. -to advance loans to its members and other cooperative institutions on the security of goods or otherwise; -to guarantee loans or advances or give undertakings to any Society or Company in which the Federation has a shareholding or financial involvement as a promoter to be able to assist its development or expansion or for starting any industrial undertaking by such societies/companies; -to guarantee loans or advances or give undertakings on behalf of any such society or company as mentioned above to any financing institutions: -to do all such things or undertake such other business or activities as may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of any or all of the above objects.