New Delhi [India], January 1 (ANI): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday directed to link all Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the country to the organic mission and asked to launch a campaign to promote organic products.
Shah’s direction came while chairing a review meeting of National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) at the Ministry of Cooperation here in the national capital.
During the meeting, Shah emphasised that special attention should be given to identifying the sources of organic products and ensuring the purity of organic products.
The Minister said that NCOL should focus on building a strong supply chain of authentic organic products from farmers to customers under its “Bharat Organics” brand.
He emphasized that NCOL should ensure mandatory testing of each batch of “Bharat Organics” products so that customers have access to pure, authentic organic products in the market.
He also mentioned that, to achieve this goal, farmers associated with Amul dairies and NDDB institutions should be encouraged to adopt organic farming.
Shah said that farmers should get fair and attractive prices for their organic products so that they are encouraged to promote organic farming.
He also told NCOL and the Ministry of Cooperation to hold a meeting with Amul regarding Bharat Organics products and determine the prices of organic flour and organic Arhar dal in the interest of farmers so that they are encouraged to adopt organic farming.
The Minister further mentioned that once farmers start receiving higher prices, they will certainly be motivated to switch to organic farming.
The Union Minister of Cooperation said that if marketing is good, the awareness among people about organic products will undoubtedly lead to a significant increase in the demand for these products across the country.
He further appealed to promote organic products during the upcoming festivals.
Shah said that all PACS in the country should become sources of organic agricultural products, centres for the sale of organic products, and centres for the sale of seeds so that national cooperative institutions like NCOL, NCEL, and BBSSL can also be promoted.
He also said that at least one young farmer should be included in these 2 lakh cooperative societies who can act as a motivator in strengthening the local cooperative structure in his or her area in the future. Shah also laid emphasis on the proper training of PACS members as well as farmers.
The Union Minister said that NABARD in collaboration with the Ministry of Cooperation should formulate a new mechanism for the PACS so that loans are made available to every farmer as per his capacity to bear such loans.
Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Secretary to Ministry of Cooperation Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Cooperation Pankaj Bansal, Chairman and Managing Director, National Cooperative Organic Limited Minesh Shah and Chairman, NABARD Shaji KV and senior officials of the ministry were present on the occasion. (ANI)
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