At the 55th Annual General Meeting of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited held at Bharat Mandapam, women leadership in the cooperative movement emerged as the key highlight as IFFCO conferred its prestigious Sahakarita Awards on women cooperators for the first time in its history.
The IFFCO Sahakarita Ratna Award for 2024-25, carrying an honorarium of Rs 11 lakh, was presented to Smt. Shakeela Akhtar of Jammu & Kashmir for her exceptional contribution towards strengthening women-led agriculture and grassroots cooperatives.
Dedicating the honour to the women cooperators of Anantnag, she said the recognition belonged to rural women working tirelessly in difficult mountainous regions. She thanked IFFCO for bringing voices from remote villages to the national stage.
Smt. Bhavna Gondaliya from Amreli, Gujarat received the IFFCO Sahakarita Bandhu Award for 2024-25 along with a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh. Calling it a proud moment, she dedicated the award to the women of Amreli and said women have a vital role in realising the vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi.”
The awards also coincided with the United Nations’ declaration of 2025-26 as the “Year of the Woman Farmer.”
IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani said farmers, cooperatives and employees remain the backbone of IFFCO’s success while reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to increasing women’s participation in the cooperative movement.