Cooperatives must adapt to globalisation to keep afloat: Somnath

Anand, Apr 3 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today stressed the need for cooperatives to adapt themselves to globalisation and the ongoing economic restructuring, and bring in greater professionalism and technology upgradation within their frameworks.

Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Mr Chatterjee said the cooperatives must come of age, and go all out for resources mobilisation, diversification of activities and promote tenets of corporate governance to meet the challenges of the changing situation.

''On its part, Parliament is examining an Amendment in the Constitution which seeks to provide greater autonomy and transperancy in the functioning of cooperative societies,'' he said.

He expressed hope that once this Bill becomes an Act, it would reinvigorate the cooperative sector and enable it to compete in a highly competitive scenario.

Dr Chatterjee also called on the policy makers to encourage locally controlled and managed grain banks with a high level of community involvement, to counter the threat to food security.

He said while poverty in India is decreasing, concerns over food security, particularly in rural areas, are increasing. Even in states where poverty ratio has fallen, unemployment among the rural masses has increased. In many villages, many households still rely on government-run ration shops and low quality food grains, he observed.

To increase productivity and employment generation in the agriculture sector, the Speaker said there was a need to bring about structural changes, primarily based on land reforms, as support prices and provision of cheap credit did not help beyond a point.

Stating that agro-industry in rural areas has a huge potential to develop, Dr Chatterjee said it should be properly tapped by technologically, financially and infrastructurally empowering the farmers, He also called upon the processed food industry to develop linkages with farmers, and adopt cold chain linkages for storages and transport.

''Though India is the second largest grower of fruits and vegetables, but our share of horticulture exports is a mere one percent of the global trade. In fact, 30 percent of the total horticulture production is wasted due to improper handling, lack of proper storage and lack of transport,'' he expressed concern.

Dr Y K Alagh, Chairman of the IRMA, Ms Neelima Khetan and faculties and students of the institute were present on the occasion.

UNI