- NET Web Desk
Recently, the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) Chairman, Mangal Jit Rai met Union Home Minister, Amit Shah at New Delhi and extended the invitation to inaugurate the Indian Dairy Cooperative Conclave.
Scheduled to be inaugurated at Gangtok in November/December, 2021, the conclave will discuss about the various challenges and opportunities faced by the sector within the state.
A press release issued informed that the Union Cooperation minister accepted the invitation to inaugurate the forthcoming Indian Dairy Cooperative Conclave at Gangtok later this year.
Rai informed that the conclave is being organised with the theme of ‘Resilient Indian Dairy Cooperatives – Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities’.
It will discuss various trends in the dairy cooperatives sector and chalk out future strategic policy direction for sectors.
The conclave would be attended by as many as 2000 delegates representing various segment of dairy cooperative.
It will also include delegates from various international organizations such as – Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), International Labour Organization (ILO), Government of India, State government.
Besides, the programme would also witness the presence of various Para-Statal Organisations involved in dairy cooperative development such as National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Universities etc. and dairy farmers, State Cooperative Dairy Federation, dairy and milk Unions and dairy cooperative societies.
The release further stated that NCDFI chairman told the Union minister that India ranks first among the world’s milk producing nations.
It has achieved an annual output of 198.4 million tonnes of milk during 2019-20 recording the growth of 35.6% during the last six years.
India’s milk production accounts for 17% approximately of the world’s total output.
Besides, the per capita availability of milk in India stands at 394 grams per day.
Today around 80 million dairy cooperative farmers are engaged in milk production in the country.
This solid progress is primarily attributable to structural changes in the Indian dairy industry.
Rai shared that the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India is an apex body of the dairy cooperatives in the country represented by State Cooperative Dairy Federation and Government of India.
NCDFI is supplementing the effort of State Cooperative Federations and unions through coordination, advocacy, networking, capacity building, research and consultancy with dedicated objectives of promoting dairy, oil and other related cooperatives.
It is proactively coordinating the institutional sale of liquid milk and milk product to Ministry of Defence, IRCTC, ITBP etc.
The organization is also involved in genetic improvement through distribution of superior animal genetic, cooperative development through capacity building.
It renders the services of an electronic trading platform ‘NCDFI e-Market’ by successfully providing transparent, fair and economic dealings to various dairy cooperatives.
The NCDFI is also instrumental in promoting policy support like incentives, growth and development of the dairy cooperatives ecosystem in the country, the release mentions.
