Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently graced the 50th-anniversary event of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) Kalol unit in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. At the event, he laid the foundation stone of the Beej Anusandhan Kendra, a seed research centre, to promote agricultural innovation.
In his speech, Shah described the transformation of IFFCO over half a century, stressing the effective blending of cooperative and corporate principles. Shah recalled that IFFCO has successfully dealt with research and development, marketing, and branding, thus touching many households and significantly contributing to Indian self-sufficiency in food grain production.Shah appreciated IFFCO’s achievements in nano fertilizers, terming products such as Nano Urea and Nano Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) to have received global acclamation. He asserted that the Beej Anusandhan Kendra will improve seed quality, increase crop productivity, minimize water and fertilizer use, and save traditional indigenous varieties of seeds.He further spoke about the Tribhuvan Sahkari University established under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to update cooperative education and ensure transparency in all sectors of cooperatives. Shah underscored that the university seeks to interface the cooperative sector with cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Shah emphasized that IFFCO’s capacity for production has grown substantially with products now becoming available in the global market. He ended with an optimistic hope that the Beej Anusandhan Kendra will greatly contribute to making farmers richer in the years ahead.
