The country’s honey and other agricultural exports are expected to get a boost with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on Monday signing a memorandum of understanding with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).
The development also comes at a time when the government is giving a big push to cooperatives by setting up a separate ministry.
The MoU envisages ensuring sustainability and growth of exports by cooperatives by addressing issues such as technology, skill, quality products and market access.
The collaborations between APEDA, which functions under Ministry of Commerce & NAFED, registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act, also support engaging Cooperatives involved in agricultural production for improving the quality of agri-produce and its consolidation for better price realization to the farmers.
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According to an official statement, NAFED is creating a network of honey farmers producers organisations across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Around 65 farmers producers organisations (FPOs) will be part of honey corridor linking north-west to north-eastern regions. NAFED is aiming at bringing all the FPOs associated with honey production for creating requisite infrastructure under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, NAFED’s subsidiary Federation of Indian FPOs and Aggregators (FIFA) is currently partnering with FPOs and the private sector.
Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping as part of the Integrated Farming System in the country, the government has allocated f Rs. 500 crore for National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23). The mission was announced as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat scheme.
APEDA would facilitate exports by the Cooperatives, FPO’s, partners and associates identified and promoted by NAFED.
APEDA and NAFED will also facilitate participation of Farmers’ Cooperatives in global trade including B2B & B2C fairs to be organizedin India and abroad and also to mutually cooperate in international business development and promotions.
The MoU also entails providing assistance towards capacity building of Cooperative Societies, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for their social & environmental compliances and skilling as per international standards. Both the organisations would organize awareness programs Skill Development Programmes and Workshops at Regional, State and National levels.
APEDA and NAFED have agreed to work in close coordination towards sustainable Cluster development of the clusters in various States notified under the country’s Agri Export policy.
The MoU was signed for utilising both the organisations’ expertise by mutually working together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders.
