Gandhinagar:  Policy on cooperation will be out in next one month, said union Cooperation minister Amitbhai Shah addressing ‘Sahkar Se Samruddhi’ convention at Mahatma Mandir here today,.

The program is being held on the occasion of the 102nd International Cooperative Day, which is celebrated on the first Saturday of July since 1923. This is also the date when Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government for the first time created a seperate ministry too boost cooperative activities.

During the event, Shah dedicated several schemes related to the cooperative and agriculture sectors. Shah launched the scheme of the Gujarat government, in which it will provide 50% assistance to farmers in procuring nano urea under the AGR-2 scheme. He also distributed nanofertilizer kits to farmers.

Shah also launched the ‘Bharat Organic Atta,’ produced by National Cooperative Organic Limited (NOCL). This atta is filled with nutrients and made from pesticide-free, organically-grown wheat grain.

The Cooperation Minister also launched Amul’s first organic shop, located in Mayur Vihar, Delhi. This shop will provide a one-stop destination for customers for the whole organic range of the brand Amul. Amul plans to open 100 such shops in the future.

This year, both International Cooperative Day and the Ministry of Cooperatives’s Foundation Day will coincide on July 6. For the first time, the Government of India celebrates “Cooperation Day” at the national level in Gujarat.

Shah also announced that maize purchases will now be done online through cooperatives, ensuring farmers receive Minimum Support Price (MSP) and promoting ethanol production. This move aims to reduce petrol imports and strengthen the national treasury.

Shah emphasized the concept of “Cooperation amongst cooperatives,” urging financial transactions to stay within the cooperative sector. He pointed to successful pilot projects in Gujarat’s Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts, which amassed deposits worth 785 crores.

Shah also mentioned the distribution of over 23,000 Kisan Credit Cards at 0% interest and 3.8 lakh RuPay debit cards to farmers and female milk producers.

Moreover, he highlighted Amul as a prime example of cooperatives, where 35 lakh women milk producers invested only 100 rupees each and are now doing a business turnover of 60,000 crores.

Additionally, Shah underscored the Cooperation Ministry’s efforts to map cooperatives across tehsils, districts, and states, aiming to expand cooperative benefits nationwide. Shah urged officials nationwide to utilize the compiled database of cooperatives to expand their reach and ensure no area misses out on cooperative benefits. DeshGujarat