Rural Development

Launched in commemoration of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025, the ‘Seeding Strength’ campaign highlights the transformative role of agricultural cooperatives in India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Nepal.

The Union Minister highlighted the Government of India’s steadfast commitment to the growth of Jammu and Kashmir’s livestock and fisheries sectors as engines of rural income and nutritional security.

Formalized under the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement Phase 2, the MoU reflects a shared commitment to elevating smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—as stewards of agricultural transformation.

President Paudel expressed concern over Nepal’s increasing reliance on imported rice and paddy. He underscored the importance of adopting climate-smart technologies and making use of domestic human resources to foster self-reliance in agriculture.

In a step toward scaling up rural enterprises led by Lakhpati Didis and other grassroots entrepreneurs, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) organized a 360-degree brainstorming session in New Delhi.

SECI will anchor demand aggregation and sign long-term offtake agreements, providing producers with market certainty over a 10-year contract period.

Emphasising on the extensive involvement of PACS in the food storage scheme, the Union Minister of Cooperation said that it is necessary to make PACS an integral part of this scheme so that the financial viability and social effectiveness of PACS can be ensured.

Through the KCC framework, farmers benefit from revolving credit facilities for up to five years. This flexible structure allows them to draw and repay funds as per their seasonal requirements without having to reapply for loans each season.