National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL) and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on Tuesday signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen India’s cooperative-led agricultural exports. The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.
Abhishek Dev, APEDA Chairman, and Unupom Kausik, NCEL Managing Director, signed the agreement on behalf of their organizations. The partnership aims to enhance value for farmers, improve rural livelihoods, and boost India’s position in global agricultural markets, in line with the objectives of the newly launched National Cooperation Policy.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Bhutani said the collaboration will focus on training, capacity building, export quality compliance, infrastructure development, participation in international trade fairs, global branding, and commodity-specific export strategies. “Through this MoU, cooperative societies will gain insights into global quality standards, food safety, and export documentation, enabling them to access international markets efficiently,” he added.
The MoU will integrate APEDA’s technical expertise with NCEL’s nationwide cooperative network to streamline exports of fruits, vegetables, spices, cereals, processed foods, and animal products.
Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, said the initiative will empower cooperative members to achieve export excellence, secure premium prices, and expand into new markets.
The collaboration aims to provide real economic benefits to farmers and improve India’s export portfolio. It will also reinforce the role of cooperative institutions in national development by leveraging NCEL’s outreach alongside APEDA’s export facilitation objectives.
