IICTF: Goyal’s presence adds elan to closing ceremony

Speaking during the closing ceremony of IICTF, Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal expressed satisfaction at the success of the Fair and informed that foot falls at the IICTF have counted more than 35 thousand and trade inquires more than 4 thousand.

Stating that there should be an International framework for expansion of cooperatives Goyal suggested how indigenous and ethnic products produced by cooperatives could be marketed on e-commerce platforms.

The 3 day event the first of its kind became memorable as a number of VVIPs like Governors, Chief Ministers, Ministers and foreign dignitaries attended the fair. Cooperators from across the globe attended the show which was inaugurated on 11th October by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

On the last day when Goyal addressed the participants, Indian co-operators except those from Sahakar Bharati and a few others like Fishcopfed MD B K Mishra were conspicuous by their absence. It transpired that they have to go to Rwanda to attend the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) meeting.

In his address Goyal called for discipline and professionalism in the cooperative sector and remembered the founder of the cooperative movement Sardar Patel. He lauded the cooperative movement saying over one billion people around the world are members of cooperatives.

Goyal also shared certain information about cooperatives and their impact on the global context. He said more than 12% of humanity is part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world. Financial cooperatives serve 13 per cent of the world population while agricultural cooperatives produce 50 per cent of global agriculture output implying immense potential that exists in the sector for global trade.

At the 3 day IICTF 75 MoUs were signed, reads a PIB release which added that several thematic sessions were held. Some of them included Globalisation of Cooperative Trade, Cooperative Banking and Financial Inclusion, Empowerment of Youth and Women through Cooperatives and Agro-processing Ecosystem through Cooperatives.

Subjects like Agri-Tech and Climate Smart Agriculture through cooperatives, Cooperatives as Cost Effective and Efficient Service providers, Big Data and Cyber Security in Cooperative Sector, Dairy Cooperative Opportunities for Value Addition and Trade and Farm Mechanisation and Inputs Supply- Role of Cooperatives were also taken up.

Earlier, Sahakar Bharati assisted company ‘Simply desi’ was launched by Narendra Singh Tomar to help find markets for 56 lakh SHGs products.

On the last day awards for excellence in different co-op sectors both for Indian and foreign co-operatives were announced. Nafed, Campco and ULCCS were the some of the prominent co-ops among the winners.

 

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