Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah today addressed the cooperative conference on “The Role of Cooperation in Sustainable Agriculture,” organized by Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) in Panchkula, Haryana. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishna Pal Gurjar, and Union Cooperation Secretary Dr. Ashish Bhutani, along with several dignitaries, were present at the event.
Addressing the conference, Union Minister Amit Shah highlighted that Haryana, a state rich in history, religion, spirituality, and traditions, is gradually creating new dimensions of farmers’ prosperity through the cooperation of agriculture and cooperatives. He mentioned that on the occasion of the International Year of Cooperatives, KRIBHCO launched several initiatives including the Milk Chilling Center, HAFED’s flour mill, the RuPay Platinum Card, the registration of Model PACS (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies), and the Cooperative Year Portal, which will provide cooperative-related information to farmers across the country.
Amit Shah noted that about 70 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas, with a large portion of them directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, farming, and animal husbandry. He stated that if agriculture and animal husbandry are seen as independent businesses, they provide employment to many people. In fact, Shah emphasized, agriculture and animal husbandry are the two sectors that generate the most employment in India. When these sectors are integrated with cooperatives, they not only provide jobs but also contribute significantly to making people prosperous.
He also gave the example of Amulin Gujarat, which annually distributes nearly ₹90,000 crore to 36 lakh female milk producers. He explained that if this same milk were sold at market prices, it would only generate ₹12,000 crore. “The difference between ₹12,000 crore and ₹90,000 crore is the power of cooperatives,” said Shah. He added that agriculture, animal husbandry, and cooperatives together create prosperity through cooperation, a vision Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought to life by establishing the Ministry of Cooperation, aligning prosperity with employment.
Amit Shah emphasized that after the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation, the approach has shifted from seeing agriculture and animal husbandry solely as sources of employment to also including prosperity. He praised the government’s focus on enhancing agriculture through reduced water usage, fewer chemicals, and lower risks, which forms the foundation of the new agricultural policy. He discussed methods such as scientific irrigation, organic farming, and soil health testing, all aimed at improving farmer income while reducing dependence on subsidies.
Shah noted that when Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, the agricultural budget was ₹22,000 crore, which has now increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore. The rural development budget, which was ₹80,000 crore, has now been raised to ₹1.87 lakh crore. Shah stated that there is no Panchayat in Haryana or elsewhere in the country that has not received ₹10 crore, ₹20 crore, or ₹25 crore for village development in the past 10 years. This reflects a significant change in the development outlook.
Union Minister Amit Shah explained that the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation was done to ensure that all profits from the agricultural produce reach the farmers. He shared that Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have been empowered by creating model bylaws and certifying multipurpose PACS. He mentioned that they have integrated services such as fertilizer and pesticide distribution, agriculture product cleaning, grading, marketing, pharmacies, petrol pumps, and gas agencies with PACS, strengthening them through 30 different services.
He also pointed out the establishment of three multi-state cooperatives at the national level: National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) for the export of agricultural products, National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) for the marketing and certification of organic products, and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) for seed production, procurement, and distribution. These initiatives are building a strong foundation for increasing farmers’ incomes.
Amit Shah compared the evolution of Amul, which started with just 2,000 liters of milk per day and now collects about 3 crore liters of milk daily, with an annual turnover of ₹1.23 lakh crore. He expressed confidence that in the next 15 years, at least 20 organizations like Amul would emerge in India, working for the welfare of farmers.
He also mentioned the Haryana government’s efforts to offer the highest prices for sugarcane farmers, making Haryana’s farmers among the happiest. Shah commended the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana for this achievement.
Shah further discussed the government’s upcoming initiative under the Ministry of Cooperation, where, just in a couple of months, a ‘Bharat Taxi’ service will be launched. Unlike traditional taxi services, all the profits from this service will go to the drivers. This will open new employment opportunities for taxi drivers, providing them with insurance, advertisement opportunities on their vehicles, and ultimately, a share in the profits. Shah expressed his belief that this initiative would soon make ‘Bharat Taxi’ the number one taxi operation company in India.
