Promoting Agriculture Cooperatives in Hilly Areas

The Ministry of Cooperation, through the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), has disbursed ₹422.95 crore as financial assistance to hilly states/UTs between 2021‑22 and 2025‑26, with Uttarakhand receiving the largest share (₹287.95 crore). New NCDC offices are being set up in several hilly and remote states to improve service delivery. The ministry has created Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) to supply quality, certified seeds, providing 2,488 quintals to Uttarakhand farmers and signing MoUs with ten states. National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) have also signed MoUs with the same states to facilitate market access, with NCOL procuring 417 MT of organic wheat and other organic products from Uttarakhand. Membership data for BBSSL, NCEL and NCOL across the states are detailed in Annexure‑II.