In the next two years, NCCF and NAFED will purchase every single grain of pulses directly from farmers which will ensure fair and remunerative prices for farmers, automatically increase the area under pulses cultivation, and make the country self-reliant in pulses.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah launched the e-auction portal NAFEX.in of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) in New Delhi. Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Chairman, NAFED Jethabhai Ahir and several dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Addressing the programme, Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that NAFED has launched four major initiatives, namely NAFEX.in, DRISHTI, ERP and NAFED Kalyan. He said that NAFEX.in and the other initiatives are extremely important because in 2014, NAFED was on the verge of closure, but due to these efforts, NAFED is today serving more than 74 lakh farmers of the country with a turnover of Rs 30,000 crore and a profit of Rs 500 crore. Shah said that when NAFED was in deep financial crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji decided to run it with complete transparency. He said that the Government of India provided financial assistance and once again placed NAFED on a strong footing.

Amit Shah said that today NAFED has registered a significant increase in both production and procurement. To make the country self-reliant in the pulses sector, NCCF and NAFED will have to move ahead with greater speed towards purchasing every single grain of pulses directly from farmers. This will ensure fair and remunerative prices for farmers, automatically increase the area under pulses cultivation, and make the country self-reliant in pulses.

Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that in the last three years, the necessary infrastructure for direct procurement of pulses, maize and other produce has been created. Now this infrastructure has to be taken to the grassroots level. Shah said that NAFED and NCCF will have to work with full determination and transparency, only then will results be achieved. He said that it will be ensured that within the next two years, all farmers are able to sell pulses directly to these two organisations and receive payment directly into their bank accounts.

 Amit Shah said that today NAFED is no longer limited only to the procurement of agricultural produce. In the last three years, NAFED has done excellent work in areas such as organic farming, seed production, retail business, bio-fertilizer manufacturing, food security and international trade, which has enhanced both NAFED’s relevance and profitability. He said that when the Ministry of Cooperation was created, NAFED’s turnover was Rs 20,000 crore, which has now increased to Rs 30,000 crore. He expressed confidence that in the next two years, this turnover will cross Rs 50,000 crore. Shah said that NAFED’s net profit has increased from Rs 139 crore to Rs 405 crore, and its net worth has risen from Rs 358 crore to Rs 2,050 crore. He said that NAFED has today emerged as a strong, financially capable and self-reliant organisation. The time has now come for NAFED and NCCF to procure every single grain of pulses and other crops directly from farmers with complete transparency, eliminate the entire network of middlemen, and ensure that the profits rightfully belonging to farmers reach them.

The Minister of Cooperation said that NAFED has decided to earmark 1 per cent of its profits for scholarships for higher education and career development of children from farmer families. This arrangement will help address the difficulties faced by farmers’ children in pursuing higher education and building their careers.