New Delhi: On 9th September 2025, National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi, marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s cooperative-led agricultural exports. The MoU, signed in the presence of Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, symbolizes the Government’s commitment to synergize the strengths of the Ministries of Cooperation and Commerce and Industry for enhanced global market access.
Enhancing Value Realization and Rural Livelihoods
Dr. Bhutani emphasized that aligning National Co-operative Exports Limited’s extensive cooperative network with APEDA’s export facilitation expertise will enhance value realization for farmers, bolster rural livelihoods, and fortify India’s position in international agricultural markets. This collaboration is poised to deliver tangible economic benefits to farmer members and align with the objectives of India’s newly launched National Cooperation Policy.
Focus Areas of the Partnership
The MoU outlines joint efforts in capacity building and training, quality compliance for exports, infrastructure support and revival, participation in international trade fairs, and international branding and market positioning. Additionally, the partnership will leverage market intelligence and data analytics to craft commodity-specific export strategies, thus enabling cooperative societies to meet global quality standards, food safety mandates, and export documentation requirements through structured training programs and workshops.
Integration of Export Facilitation and Cooperative Outreach
APEDA’s export facilitation mechanisms will be integrated with NCEL’s outreach to streamline compliance for a diverse range of agricultural products including fruits, vegetables, spices, processed foods, cereals, and animal products. This integration aims at creating a resilient and competitive cooperative export ecosystem that can effectively meet international market demands.
Empowering Cooperatives for Global Competitiveness
Shri Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, stated that the MoU equips NCEL with APEDA’s technical expertise and policy support, enabling its members to achieve export excellence, access new markets, and secure premium value for their produce. By leveraging NCEL’s role as the national umbrella organization for cooperative exports and APEDA’s mandate for market development and export promotion, the alliance will drive export readiness, strengthen branding, augment infrastructure, and foster capacity building across India’s cooperative sector.
Conclusion
The agreement between National Co-operative Exports Limited and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority represents a landmark initiative to boost India’s cooperative agricultural exports, enhance farmer incomes, and project India as a global agricultural powerhouse through collaborative governance and strategic market engagement.
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Source: PIB
