Forty participants from six member countries of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)–Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka–comprising country focal persons experts from their ministries of agriculture and cooperatives, leaders of farmers organizations implementing the Medium Term Cooperation Phase 2 (MTCP2), a capacity building program for Farmers Organizations supported by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and previously also with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and international/regional organizations SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC), International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), La Via Campesina (LVC), and Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), gathered for the 2nd SAARC Agri Cooperative Forum with the theme: “Family Farmers Cooperatives to End Hunger and Poverty Through Integrated Farming in South Asia” last 22-24 July 2019 at the premises of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand, Gujarat, India. Click here to view more photos of this activity
The forum was jointly managed by SAC and AFA, with NDDB as the local host, and was financially supported by pooled resources from IFAD through the MTCP2 project, SAC, and NDDB.
Eighteen papers were presented during the forum, describing the situation of family farmers cooperatives in the country, some good practices, the challenges these cooperatives face as well as policy recommendations to strengthen these family farmers cooperatives.
The highlight of the forum were the walk throughs to the premises of NDDB and the Anand Agriculture University (AAU), as well as the field visits to the village level Mukjuva Milk Producers Cooperative Society Ltd. and the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, which manages a processing center for about 200 by products of milk. The latter, organized in 1946, is one of the 18 district cooperatives milk producer unions in Gujarat state using the brand AMUL, an Indian cooperative dairy company. The AMUL brand is being used by all the 18 district cooperative milk producers union in Gujarat, with about 3.6 million members. Currently, it captures 90% of the market share of milk in Gujarat state alone. Seventy-five of AMUL’s profits go to the farmers in terms of dividends, patronage refunds, bonuses, and technical assistance. Farmer members have verbalized the improvements in their living conditions, confidence and self esteem as farmers because of the good services provided by the cooperatives, starting from guaranteed collection centers and on-time payments to members.
The participants adopted an Outcome Document which describes the main recommendations resulting to the group work processes that transpired after all the presentations. To promote and strengthen the family farmers cooperatives in the South Asia region, the participants recommended the formation of a multi stakeholder Working Group or Technical Committee within SAARC or SAC that will be mandated to develop , implement, coordinate, monitor and follow through a SAARC Agri/family farmer Cooperative Development program and roadmap.
The SAC, AFA, and ICA will work to develop a SAARC Action Plan for the implementation of UN Decade on Family Farming in 2020 where the development of family farmers cooperatives will play a crucial part. ###
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