Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: The Nagaland State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers Federation, known as MARCOFED, has entered into a partnership with ERDE Agro Ecosystems to overhaul the state's agricultural, horticultural, and spice sectors. The agreement was finalized on Monday at a workshop in Niathu Resort that brought together various industry stakeholders, including representatives from ICAR.
MARCOFED chairman Dr. M. Chuba Ao described the partnership as a necessary shift toward a sustainable public-private model. He noted that the federation has struggled with financial constraints and a high rate of non-functional cooperative societies for years. With only five per cent of the state's nearly 8,000 registered societies currently active, the chairman emphasized that this long-term strategy aims to move the organization away from total government dependence.
ERDE Agro plans to implement an end-to-end platform that connects farmers and producer groups directly to markets. Director Dr. Sukrut Mehta explained that the firm will provide infrastructure, capital, and market access while utilizing technology like satellite imaging and soil analysis to boost productivity. The company intends to follow a three-phase strategy that begins with market linkages and concludes with large-scale agro-processing and value-added production.
While MARCOFED works to integrate this new partnership, the organization also continues to pursue other projects, including a cassava-based ethanol production initiative with a firm based in the UK. Though global financial pressures have delayed some of these efforts, the leadership remains focused on restructuring the federation to ensure its long-term survival and growth.
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