As promised by NCDC MD Sundeep Nayak in these columns earlier, the cooperative lender organized a scintillating workshop on the theme of “Revitalizing Primary Co-operatives” at its prestigious training centre- Laxmanrao Inamdar Academy for Research & Development in Cooperation at Gurugram last week.
RBI Executive Board member and a well-known cooperator Satish Marathe delivered the Valedictory Address in which several staff-members of NCDC from across the country had come to participate. The workshop was aimed at preparing them for the challenge of making primary level co-ops stand on their own feet.
In the words of Marathe the workshop was “first ever and unique in terms of focus on revitalizing Primary Co-ops in the country”. He wrote on Facebook “Visited Laxmanrao Inamdar Academy for Research & Development in Cooperation at Gurugram klast week on 5th April 19 to participate and deliver the Valedictory Address at the first ever and unique Workshop titled – Revitalizing Primary Co-ops organized by NCDC.”
In his Inaugural Speech, referring to the NCDC’s mandate, Sundeep Kumar Nayak, MD stressed on the need for harnessing the strengths of Primary Co-operatives for rapid development of rural India.
Addressing Regional Directors and Senior Officials of the NCDC, Satish Marathe emphasized the need to set up at least one Agro Processing Co-op in each Tehsil to give a boost to the efforts being made for Doubling the Farmers Income.
He lamented that currently just 18 – 20 % of India’s agri produce is being processed and the same is restricted to a few major crops viz. cotton, sugarcane & oilseeds.
Marathe said that no amount of increase in MSP will mitigate the hardships faced by farming community unless the virtuous cycle of value-addition of agri-produce is created.
He also emphasized the need for undertaking a massive programme for spread of Agri Literacy including functioning of Commodity Exchanges, Price Discovery, working of E Mandis, etc
B Subramaniam, MD, National Federation of State Co-op Banks also addressed the Workshop and made a strong plea for continuance of 3 Tier Structure in the Co-op Sector.
Lauding the initiative of Nayak, Marathe said “The entire Workshop was conceived and meticulously organized under the able guidance of Sh Sundeep Kumar Nayak, MD, NCDC.”
