- Government has announced the first ever ‘India International Cooperatives Trade Fair’(IICTF) which will be held in New Delhi.
- The fair is being conducted with the support of Network for Development of Agricultural Cooperatives(NEDAC),ministries,four state governments and several apex levels Indian cooperative organizations.
- The Trade Fair is aimed at promoting cooperative to cooperative trade within India and abroad leading to enhanced rural and farm prosperity.
- This trade fair is conducted as Cooperative sector has a big role to play in doubling agriculture exports from present US $ 30 billion to US$ 60 billion+ by 2022 as envisaged in the Agriculture Export Policy.
- Towards this end a Cooperative Sector Exports Promotion Forum has also been set up.An estimated 94% of the Indian farmers are members of at least one cooperative institution.
- Further,IICTF would be major platform to promote exports by cooperatives with direct benefits to their members who are mainly farmers, artisans, women,SC /ST among others.
