Cooperatives

The minister said that under the agriculture infrastructure fund, support is extended to cold storages in agri-export clusters, at farm gate level, for small and marginal farmers as well as big businesses, APMCs/mandis to reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers' returns.

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.

Shah revealed that in the coming months, cooperative dairies would start leveraging cow dung to produce organic manure and biogas.

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.

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.

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.

He urged agro-based industries, NGOs, MPs, and MLAs to adopt villages and help build agri-entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Dhankhar urged farmers to see themselves as entrepreneurs with the potential to drive rural economies. He underscored the importance of participating in the input chain of agriculture (fertilizers, pesticides, machinery) and the output chain including storage, processing, and retail.