A high-level strategy meeting convened by INDCOOP in Aerocity outlined an ambitious roadmap for establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Co-operative Agriculture, with Dhananjay Kumar Singh driving the vision.
Singh announced that the proposed CoE, to be headquartered in Varanasi, will serve as a national platform for climate-resilient, sustainable and market-linked agriculture, especially targeting Eastern Uttar Pradesh, North Bengal, Sikkim and the North Eastern region.
He emphasized that the CoE will function as a multi-dimensional institution integrating a technology and knowledge hub, a market linkage platform and a sustainability and carbon management centre. Key focus areas include soil and water conservation, reduced chemical usage, crop diversification, productivity enhancement and promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants, along with carbon credit-based income models.
Experts at the meeting stressed mechanisation, high-value crops, organic certification and global market linkages. Singh concluded by underlining the cooperative sector’s pivotal role in transforming Indian agriculture through innovation, sustainability and farmer-centric development.