Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that Haryana is gradually writing new chapters of farmers’ prosperity by linking agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperatives, as he addressed a Cooperative Conference organized by Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) on the theme ‘Role of Cooperation in Sustainable Agriculture’ in Panchkula.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said that Haryana, deeply connected with history, religion, spirituality and rich traditions, is today moving forward by creating new dimensions of agricultural prosperity through cooperation.
Marking the International Year of Cooperatives, he inaugurated a milk chilling centre, a HAFED flour mill, distribution of RuPay Platinum Cards, registration certificates of model Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), and a dedicated portal for the International Year of Cooperatives.
Shah said that nearly 70 per cent of India’s population lives in rural areas and a large section depends directly or indirectly on agriculture, farming and animal husbandry for livelihood.
When seen as independent sectors, agriculture and animal husbandry generate maximum employment in the country. However, when these sectors are linked with cooperation, they not only provide employment but also ensure prosperity for nearly 125 crore people, he said.
Citing the example of Gujarat’s Amul, the Union Cooperation Minister said that the cooperative currently distributes around ₹90,000 crore annually to 36 lakh women milk producers. If the same quantity of milk were sold at market prices, it would fetch only ₹12,000 crore.
The vast difference, he said, reflects the true strength of cooperation and underlines the principle of “Prosperity through Cooperation”. He noted that while agriculture and animal husbandry were earlier viewed only from an employment perspective, Prime Minister Narendra Modi institutionalised a new approach by establishing the Ministry of Cooperation and linking these sectors with prosperity.
Shah said that after becoming Prime Minister, Modi strengthened the foundation of agriculture and aligned it with cooperative systems to enhance farmers’ incomes. He outlined the pillars of the new agriculture policy, including low water usage, reduced chemical inputs and minimal risk.
These are being achieved through scientific irrigation, natural farming, soil testing and crop selection. He stressed the need to increase farmers’ income through soil health, water security, institutional credit, market access, and processing, packaging and marketing, while gradually transitioning from subsidy-dependent farming to sustainable and profitable agriculture.
Highlighting budgetary support, Shah said that the agriculture budget has increased from ₹22,000 crore in 2014 to ₹1,27,000 crore, while the rural development budget has risen from ₹80,000 crore to ₹1,87,000 crore. He said that over the past decade, village-level development has seen unprecedented funding, reflecting a major shift in the government’s development approach.
Initiatives such as crop insurance reforms, PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi providing ₹6,000 annually to farmers, the ₹1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, e-NAM, Shri Anna Mission, Pulses and Oilseeds Mission, and expansion of irrigation have strengthened the rural economy.
The Union Cooperation Minister said that model by-laws have been prepared for PACS and multipurpose PACS certificates issued, linking them with nearly 30 activities such as fertilizer and pesticide distribution, cleaning, grading, marketing, medicine shops, petrol pumps, gas agencies and water distribution.
He also highlighted the establishment of three national-level multi-state cooperative societies—National Cooperative Exports Limited, National Cooperative Organics Limited and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited—to boost farmers’ income.
Shah said Amul’s journey from collecting 2,000 litres of milk per day to nearly three crore litres daily, with a turnover of about ₹1.23 lakh crore, demonstrates cooperative strength. He expressed confidence that at least 20 such institutions would emerge in the next 15 years. He praised the Haryana government for providing the highest prices to sugarcane farmers and making farmers prosperous.
He also announced the upcoming launch of ‘Bharat Taxi’ under the Ministry of Cooperation, where profits will go directly to drivers, offering insurance and new employment opportunities. Shah also lauded Haryana’s contribution to food security, defence and sports, saying the state’s farmers, soldiers and sportspersons have consistently upheld the pride of the tricolour.