A major cooperative initiative led by Indian Potash Limited is set to gain momentum as a high-level meeting of cooperative sugar mill leaders from Maharashtra and Karnataka will be held on May 27 at Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), Pune.
The meeting will be chaired by Union Minister of State for Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol and coordinated by Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation and Managing Director of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
According to official communication, chairmen and managing directors of cooperative sugar mills from Kolhapur, Solapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra, along with Belagavi district of Karnataka, will participate in the deliberations regarding the proposed Multi-State Cooperative Society being formed by Indian Potash Limited.
Around 100 participants are expected to attend the programme, where discussions will focus on the role of cooperative sugar factories and other stakeholders in the new national-level cooperative structure.
Indian Potash Limited plans to form a multi-state cooperative society to help cooperative sugar mills earn additional income by converting sugar by-products into value-added products like citric acid, CBG, and potash derivatives, promoting a circular economy and long-term sustainability in the sector.
The initiative is being seen as a significant step toward strengthening inter-state cooperative collaboration in the sugar sector and expanding the role of cooperatives in value-added agricultural industries.