New Delhi: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the National Symposium on ‘Promotion of Organic Products through Cooperatives’ organized by National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) as the Chief Guest in New Delhi today. Shri Amit Shah launched the logo, website and brochure of NCOL and also distributed membership certificates to NCOL members. On this occasion, many dignitaries including Union Minister of State for Cooperation Shri B.L. Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation and Chairman, NCOL were present.
Photo By: Hamid Ali
In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that natural farming is one of the many goals set by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the year of Amrit Mahotsav for building a self-reliant India. In order to achieve this goal, we have to work on many fronts and move ahead by coordinating between them. He said that the goal of taking natural farming above 50 percent in India cannot be achieved without a multidimensional approach and these three works completed today are very important to achieve this goal. He said that it is a matter of great satisfaction for India that today we are not only self-reliant in the field of agricultural produce but are also surplus and we have to assess this journey. Shri Shah said that the bad consequences of excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides to increase production have started appearing before us today. Their excessive use has not only reduced the fertility, polluted the land and water but has also given many diseases. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has called upon farmers across the country to adopt natural farming. He said that in the last 5-6 years, lakhs of farmers of the country have adopted natural farming and the number of such farmers is gradually increasing. He added that the problem for both farmers and consumers arises without proper certification. To solve this problem, the Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the formation of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) on January 11, 2023.
Photo: Hamid Ali
Union Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, National Cooperative Organics Limited has been formed to provide a platform to all the farmers doing natural farming across the country and to make arrangements for marketing of their products. He said that today 6 products of Bharat Organics have also been launched in the market. Shri Shah said that in the coming days, Bharat Organics will become the most trusted and biggest brand not only in India but also in the global organic market. He said that our track record shows, when cooperatives and farmers get the right platform, we perform best. He said that including the 6 products launched today, a total of 20 products will be launched by December this year and the farmers producing them will start getting its benefits. He said that the sale of 6 products is starting from today through 150 outlets of Mother Dairy and these products will also be available online. Along with this, with the concept of Organic Under One Roof, a retail outlet network of all organic products is also being started today.
Shri Amit Shah said that the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has strengthened the agricultural economy by keeping the small farmers of the country at the centre. He said that if all farmers connect with natural farming through cooperatives, then we will be able to achieve the 4 goals i.e. every citizen should be healthy, land should be safe, water should be safe and our farmers should be prosperous set by the Prime Minster Shri Narendra Modi.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that in our country, crores of cattle farmers commercially produce cow dung every day. Its commercial use can bring a huge revolution and can also significantly increase income of the farmers. He said that today the website of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Soil Limited and organic fertilizer produced from Varanasi biogas plant also inaugurated. Cow dung should be used in land conservation, natural farming and increasing the income of farmers in the country. He said that NDDB and Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC) have also registered a brand for high quality cow dung. They have also set up a cow dung gas plant with a capacity of 4000 cubic meter in Varanasi.
Photo By: Hamid Ali
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that due to the efforts made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to strengthen cooperatives with the mantra of “Sahakar se Samriddhi”, the rural and agricultural sector of the country, small and marginal farmers, more than 8 lakh registered cooperative societies and 90 percent of the people of the country have joined the cooperative movement. He said that natural farming will reduce the demand for fertilizers and it will also increase the production of food grains. He said that the sooner we assimilate this new beginning, the more our country will move forward in the field of agriculture and for this the Modi government has taken many initiatives.
Shri Amit Shah said that National Cooperative Organics Limited is jointly promoted by Amul, National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). It is launched with an authorized capital of Rs 500 crore. Till now, it has more than 950 members in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Nagaland and membership applications from more than 2000 cooperative institutions have been received. He said that National Cooperative Organics Limited is a multipurpose initiative, which will give momentum and direction to the country’s mission of land and water conservation and increasing the food production. This will be the biggest undertaking of the country in the next 5 years and will prove to be a big leap towards achieving Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s goal to provide better health to all the countrymen. Shri Shah said that this organization will also work as a platform for marketing, branding and export of the products of farmers engaged in natural farming. After integration, certification, testing, standardization, procurement, storage processing, branding, labeling, packaging and marketing of organic products, the entire export work will be done by National Cooperative Organics Limited, which will give recognition to our organic products in the global market in the coming days.
Union Minister of Cooperation requested Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) and progressive farmers across the country to associate with NCOL, strengthen the ‘Bharat Brand’ and make themselves prosperous through this brand. He said that every farmer associated with natural farming in the country should join National Cooperative Organics Limited. He added that whatever profit is earned from organic products in India and the world, should go directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. It has been decided to ensure that 50% of the price received above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be deposited directly into the farmer’s bank account on per kilogram basis. Shri Shah said that the Modi government has decided that by the year 2024, more than 25,000 members will join NCOL and this organization has also started the work of creating a database of organic farmers. He expressed confidence that after the launch of ‘Bharat Brand’, India will stand very strongly in the world organic market in the next 10 years.
Shri Amit Shah said that to make a long-term market plan, it is very important to have a laboratory recognized by National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in every District and Tehsil of the country. He said that at present there are a total of 246 laboratories in the country, out of which 147 are private and 99 are of the government, but out of these only 34 labs are recognized by NPOP. Shri Shah said that with the Whole of Government Approach, the government has decided to set up about 100 mobile laboratories and 205 laboratories by next year in collaboration with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and other government institutions. It will increase 300 laboratories and almost every district of the country will be covered, due to which testing and certification of land and products can also be done. Thus, there will be 439 laboratories across the country by the next year, which will provide great convenience to the farmers in getting their products certified and also to the National Cooperative Organics Limited in purchasing the certified products.
