Co-operative Societies

The Cooperative Movement has a long history in our country and today, India's Cooperative Movement is the largest in the world. Undoubtedly, considerable progress has been made since Independence in the sphere of agricultural development in terms of increase in crop production and productivity, technological developments, and crop diversification. The credit for these developments goes not only to agricultural research, irrigation systems, and public policy on agriculture, but also to the impressive agricultural credit delivery systems through an extensive network of co-operative societies. 

The general policy on rural / agricultural credit is to provide timely and adequate credit to farmers for increasing agricultural production and productivity. Providing better access to institutional credit for the small and marginal farmers and other weaker sections to enable them to adopt modern technology and improved agricultural practices has been a major concern of the policy.

The Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies (PACS)

The Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) constitute the `hub’ of the Indian co-operative movement. Every fourth co-operative in India is a primary credit society. According to National Federation of State Co-operative Banks Limited (NAFSCOB) report totally 1, 09, 779 PACS are serving the farmers as on March 2005.

• Basic data of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.pdf)
• Basic data of District Central Co-operative Banks (District Central Co-operative Banks.pdf)
• Basic data of State Co-operative Banks (State Co-operative Banks.pdf)

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

Supporting this vast Cooperative network, at the national level, is a unique organisation, the National Cooperative Development Corporation. Set up under an Act of Parliament, NCDC is engaged in the promotion and development of Cooperative in agriculture and rural oriented activities. Its act has also been amended recently to enable it to fund cooperatives in the services sector, rural industries, livestock etc. Thus, NCDC continues its march ahead, to support the Cooperative sector to achieve excellence in various spheres of its operations. For more details: www.ncdc.nic.in

Related links

National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) - http://ncui.nic.in/pub.htm

National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) -http://www.nafed-india.com/nafed_site/welcome.asp

Tribal Co-operative marketing development federation of India Ltd. - http://tribal.nic.in/trifed1.html  

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) http://www.iffco.nic.in/applications/iffcowebr5.nsf/?Open

Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (KRIBHCO) - http://www.kribhco.net/

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) -http://www.nabard.org/  

National Federation of State Co-operative Banks Limited (NAFSCOB) -http://www.nafscob.org/  

Gujarat Cooperatives Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (AMUL) - http://www.amul.com/  

National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) http://www.nddb.org/

Department of Agri & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, GOI -http://agricoop.nic.in/