In a move to strengthen India’s cooperative-led agricultural export ecosystem, National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership. The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, reflecting the government’s commitment to aligning the efforts of the Ministry of Cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The MoU was formalised by Shri Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA, and Shri Unupom Kausik, Managing Director of NCEL, representing their respective organisations.
Dr. Bhutani emphasised that the collaboration will integrate NCEL’s cooperative network with APEDA’s export facilitation expertise to improve farmers’ income, support rural livelihoods, and strengthen India’s global trade footprint. He highlighted that this initiative is aligned with the goals of the newly launched National Cooperation Policy.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry is working to empower cooperatives to compete in the global marketplace. Dr. Bhutani stated that the joint efforts of NCEL and APEDA will encompass capacity building, quality compliance, infrastructure support, participation in global trade fairs, international branding, market intelligence, and commodity-specific export strategies.
He further noted that structured training programmes and workshops under this MoU will help cooperative societies understand international quality norms, food safety standards, and export procedures. By integrating APEDA’s export facilitation capabilities with NCEL’s grassroots outreach, the partnership aims to streamline export compliance for a range of products, including fruits, vegetables, spices, cereals, processed foods, and animal products.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation, Shri Pankaj Kumar Bansal, added that the agreement will provide NCEL with APEDA’s technical and policy support, enabling its members to expand into new markets and secure better prices for their produce.
This MoU marks a significant milestone in creating a resilient and competitive cooperative export framework. By combining APEDA’s market development infrastructure with NCEL’s extensive cooperative network, the partnership is expected to deliver substantial economic benefits to farmer-members, enhance India’s agricultural export profile, and reinforce the role of cooperatives in national development as envisioned in the National Cooperation Policy.
