Turnover of market committees in Gujarat rise from Rs. 8,000 cr to Rs. 42,000 cr in 2 decades

Gandhinagar: International Cooperative Day, celebrated annually since 1923 on the first Saturday of July, honors the global cooperative movement. India, long involved in cooperative activities, saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi establish the Ministry of Cooperatives on July 6, 2021. This year, both International Cooperative Day and the Ministry’s Foundation Day will coincide on July 6. For the first time, the Government of India will celebrate “Cooperation Day” at the national level in Gujarat. The event will be held in Gandhinagar, chaired by Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah.

Growth of Cooperative Sector in Gujarat

The cooperative sector in Gujarat has seen remarkable growth. Two decades ago, the turnover of state market committees was Rs. 8,000 crore; today, it stands at Rs. 42,000 crore. The market committee’s income has increased from Rs. 72.80 crore to Rs. 460 crore, and the storage capacity of godowns has grown from 4.33 lakh metric tons to 13.46 lakh metric tons.

Gujarat leads the country in milk production. The number of Primary Milk Societies has increased from 10,636 to 16,384, and Dudh Sanghs have grown from 12 to 23. Daily milk collection has surged from 62 lakh liters to 290 lakh liters. The Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation’s turnover has risen from Rs. 2,366 crore to Rs. 61,000 crore. The average price of buying milk from cattle farmers has increased by 300 percent, enriching farmers.

The state government provides crop loans to farmers without interest, significantly reducing their burden. In 2014-15, Rs. 125 crore was spent, while in 2022-23, this figure rose to Rs. 1612 crore. In 2024-25, Rs. 877 crore has been paid as interest subsidy on crop credit.

Farmers in South Gujarat planting sugarcane have seen payment increases from Rs. 790-1049 to Rs. 2030-3961.

A total of 412 organic farming cooperatives have been formed to ensure fair prices and proper marketing for farmers practicing organic agriculture.

Several Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) have been modernized with digital operations. Over 5,754 PACS have been selected for this initiative.

Deposits in civic cooperative banks and credit societies have seen significant growth. Deposits in Cooperative Banks increased from Rs. 16,506 crore to Rs. 75,000 crore, and in credit societies from Rs. 410 crore to Rs. 2,900 crore. Over 57,500 members of various cooperative societies have received training.

More than 11,000 cooperative societies have been registered on the state government’s portal. The Department of Cooperation’s e-operative portal has facilitated 7,725 borrowers and 28,616 cooperative societies.

Farmers constructing godowns receive a capital subsidy of up to Rs. 5 lakhs, covering 25 percent of construction costs. In the last five years, 2,500 farmers have received Rs. 32.91 crore in assistance, increasing storage capacity by 2,36,000 metric tonnes. DeshGujarat