The Achievers

A co-operative sales association is a voluntary business organization established by its member patrons to market farm products collectively for their direct benefit. In a co-operative marketing society, the control of the organization is in the hands of the farmers, and each member has one vote irrespective of the number of shares purchased by him.

The Corporation provides assistance to agro processing units like cotton ginning and pressing units, spinning mills, oil mills, solvent extraction plants, edible oil refinaries, sugar mills and similar other agro-based cooperative units.

The co-operative marketing societies have both two-tier and three-tier structure.

• Base level

At the base level, there are primary co-operative marketing societies. These societies market the produce of the farmer members in that area.

• Central/District Level

At the district level, there are central co-operative marketing unions or federations. The primary co-operative marketing societies are members of these unions in addition to the individual farmer members.

• State Level

At the state level, there are apex (State) co-operative marketing societies. Their members are both the primary co-operative marketing societies and the central co-operative unions of the state.

There are two types of members of co-operative marketing societies:

• Ordinary Members

Individual farmers, co-operative farming societies and service societies of the area may become the ordinary members of the co-operative marketing society. They have the right to participate in the deliberations of the society, share in the profits and participate in the decision making process.

• Nominal Members

Traders with whom the society establishes business dealings are enrolled as nominal members. Nominal members do not have the right to participate in decision making and share in the profits.

The National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) is an apex organization deals in procurement, processing, distribution, export and import of selected agricultural commodities. The achievers of co-operatives is increased by developing the co-operative marketing structures such as co-operative marketing in tribal areas and through integrated system of co-operative marketing embracing credit, marketing, processing, warehousing and storage facilities.

• Developing co-operative Marketing of Tribal Produce

Keeping in view the importance of marketing of tribal produce, a separate Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED) has been set up to develop the marketing of produce of the tribal areas (minor forest products) having economic values. NAFED arranges market intelligence, establishes better system for auction of tribal produce and develops markets for other commodities like chilgoza, gum, karya etc.

• Setting of Scientific Storage System

NAFED has set up a cold storage alongwith an ice factory and a warehouse in Delhi. It has set up an onion warehousing complex at Nagapattanam.

• Processing of fruits and vegetables

NAFED has set up a multi-commodity fruit and vegetables processing unit at Delhi and at Vellore (Tamil Nadu). The basic purpose is to develop the processing industry in co-operative sector in a major way so as to make fruits and vegetable marketing and processing to the advantage of the farmers.

• Co-operative Marketing and processing of Milk and Oilseeds

With a view to providing marketing support to the milk producers, a sound network of dairy cooperatives has taken shape in the country. The network consists of milk producers cooperative societies at the Village level, District Milk co-operative Unions at the district level, State Co-operative Dairy Federations at the state level and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) at the national level.

• Oilseeds

Oilseeds growers co-operative societies at the village level and State Co-operative Oilseeds Growers Federations have been organized in many States. The nomenclature differs from State to State.

Thus providing network assistance from individual farmers to institutions, co-operatives playing a very important role in agriculture.

Organisation
(Co-
operative)