Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah praised the transformative changes in India’s cooperative sector since the Modi government created the Ministry of Cooperation. Addressing a state-level cooperative conference in Bhopal, Mr. Shah emphasized how the government integrated rural development, agriculture, and animal husbandry under a unified approach for the first time in India’s history.

He highlighted the central government’s role in standardizing cooperative rules, with all states adopting the model bylaws. Shah noted that this had revitalized the sector, with cooperative banks now expanding beyond short-term agricultural finance.

Mr. Shah noted the growing role of PACS, which now operate in over 20 states, offering services beyond agricultural finance, including selling medicines and distributing water. He said, through seed, organic, and export cooperatives, farmers are receiving fair prices and direct payments into their bank accounts.

In another key reform, Mr. Shah shared that small-scale farmers-owning as little as 2.5 acres-would now be able to produce seeds, supported by the newly launched ‘Seed Cooperative’ to ensure fair prices for their produce.

An MoU was signed between the Madhya Pradesh Milk Union and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), with plans to increase the number of milk cooperatives in the state from 6,000 to 9,000.

The conference was chaired by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav. Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Minister Vishwas Sarang, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Lakhan Patel as well as officials of the National Dairy Development Board and Madhya Pradesh’s Cooperative, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, were also present in the programme.