Inaugurating the international cooperative conference in the capital, President Pratibha Patil described cooperatives as institutions that could bring about a fundamental transformation in society by empowering the weaker sections of population. She said the cooperative movement could ensure inclusive growth especially enabling women and youth to make their invaluable contributions to the country’s development.
President called for the establishment of the woman cooperatives and incorporation of information about the cooperative movement on the curriculum of the educational institutions.
President Mrs. Patil added about thirty crore people in the country are connected to the cooperative movement engaging in activities such as credit, housing, dairying, textiles and fertilizer.
Expatiating on the achievements of the cooperative movement, she described ‘white revolution’ as the piece de resistance that made India one of the largest producers of milk in the world.
IFFCO was especially the aim of her most favourable remarks when she called it the biggest fertilizer cooperative in the world that has always been at farmers’ service.