Why in news?
National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperative‑led agricultural exports. The MoU underscores the government’s commitment to empower cooperatives.
About NCEL
- Organisation: A multi‑state cooperative society registered on 25 January 2023. It serves as an umbrella body for cooperatives engaged in exports.
- Promoters: Includes major cooperatives such as AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED and the National Cooperative Development Corporation.
Objectives of the MoU
- Synergy: Align NCEL’s vast network of cooperatives with APEDA’s export facilitation to enhance value realisation for farmers and bolster rural livelihoods.
- Capacity building: Provide training on global quality standards, food safety and export documentation through workshops and programmes.
- Infrastructure and branding: Improve export readiness by upgrading infrastructure, ensuring compliance and building international brand recognition.
- Market intelligence: Share data and analytics to develop commodity‑specific export strategies and tap into new markets.
Significance
By integrating APEDA’s expertise with NCEL’s cooperative network, the partnership aims to build a resilient export ecosystem. It will empower farmers to compete globally, enhance India’s export portfolio and realise the vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperatives).
