Addressing the inaugural session of the General Assembly of Network for Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC) in New Delhi today Shri Parshottam K Rupala, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said that NEDAC is a unique organization encompassing mix of Government and non Government organizations created by FAO for synergizing policies and programmes of government and cooperative institutions at country level. He informed that cooperatives have exhibited better form of success stories to enhance production and better returns to produce from market through collective action.

Welcoming the NEDAC delegates on behalf of India, Shri Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Managing Director NCDC stated that besides GA agenda, parallel thematic sessions are going to be held on ‘Cooperatives to Cooperative Trade’ and ‘Capacity Development partnerships in NEDAC’. The ultimate aim would be to bring about an increase in farmers income and raise their economic standard by bringing cooperative trade in the mainstream and enhance cooperative professionalism.

The general assembly of 22 prominent cooperative organizations from eight countries unanimously decided to focus on C2C and capacity development to meet challenges of climate change as transformative cooperatives.

Mr. Orlado R. Ravanera, Chairman, Cooperative Development Authority, Philippines and Co-Chairman NEDAC hoped that the cooperatives of Asia and the Pacific come together to face the challenges of climate change.

NEDAC was set up in 1991 by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). NEDAC sensitises Governments in the region on the role of agricultural cooperatives in promoting agricultural and rural development to ensure rural food and livelihood security for millions of people in Asia and Pacific.

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