NITI Aayog organised a two-day national workshop on “Empowering Farmers’ Collectives in Eastern India: Focus on Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS)” in Patna under its State Support Mission, bringing together policymakers, cooperative leaders, and grassroots stakeholders to deliberate on strengthening agricultural institutions in the region.
The workshop was inaugurated by Pramod Kumar, who highlighted the importance of cooperatives in boosting rural livelihoods and improving farmers’ access to markets and credit.
Ramesh Chand underscored the critical role of farmers’ collectives such as PACS in ensuring inclusive and regionally balanced agricultural growth, noting that stronger grassroots institutions can significantly enhance productivity, resilience, and income security for farmers across eastern India.
During the inaugural session, Goverdhan Singh Rawat of NABARD emphasised the need for rapid computerisation of PACS and greater institutional convergence to improve efficiency and transparency. Rajnish Kumar Singh spoke about capacity building initiatives and the potential of cooperatives to generate employment at the local level.
Meanwhile, P S Pandey from Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University highlighted the importance of value addition, quality enhancement, and strengthening agricultural supply chains to increase farmers’ competitiveness in domestic and global markets.
The workshop witnessed participation from leading institutions including National Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, National Cooperative Development Corporation and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.
Representatives from state governments, PACS across multiple states, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), startups, and progressive farmers also actively engaged in discussions.
Key deliberations focused on improving access to technology, strengthening market linkages, promoting digital integration, and enhancing the overall efficiency of cooperative institutions. Participants also explored innovative models to integrate PACS with FPOs and agribusiness startups to create more robust and sustainable agricultural ecosystems.
The workshop aimed to foster collaboration, share best practices, and build a roadmap for empowering farmers’ collectives, ultimately contributing to a more resilient, competitive, and inclusive agricultural sector across eastern India and the country.