New Delhi, Sep 26 (NationPress) The National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL), established by the Government in 2023, has reached a remarkable milestone by exporting Rs 5,403.01 crore in agricultural goods. This includes a diverse range of products such as rice, fresh red onions, sugar, baby food, processed foods, spices, and tea, as reported in an official statement released on Friday.

In just two years, NCEL has cultivated a broad membership base, exporting 13.49 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of agricultural products to 28 countries while distributing profits among its members. By August 2025, NCEL will have welcomed 11,034 co-operatives into its fold, comprising 10,793 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies and various other co-operatives, according to the statement.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has encouraged NCEL to pursue new export avenues for products such as sugar from co-operative sugar mills, aromatic rice from Tripura, organic cotton, and coarse grains. He also pointed out the potential for collaborations with large firms to export fresh vegetables to Gulf nations and specialty potato varieties.

NCEL has set an ambitious goal of achieving exports worth Rs 2 lakh crore. Minister Shah emphasized that exports from all co-operative entities should be funneled through NCEL to facilitate a turnover of approximately Rs 20,000–30,000 crore, thereby allowing net profits to return to the co-operatives.

He also proposed establishing NCEL offices in Africa and Myanmar for pulse imports and developing a dedicated website to aid co-operative members in understanding global demand and showcasing their supply capabilities.

For the fiscal year 2024-25, NCEL has recorded a net profit of Rs 122 crore with a turnover of Rs 4,283 crore. During 2023-24, NCEL rewarded its member co-operatives with a 20 percent dividend. These accomplishments highlight NCEL's capacity to elevate India’s co-operative movement on a global scale, as stated in the announcement.

Furthermore, NCEL has entered into strategic agreements with 61 importers from Senegal, Indonesia, and Nepal. Acting as the nodal agency for co-operative exports, it signs MoUs with state and UT-level organizations.

NCEL connects stakeholders to global markets, generating rural employment through value addition, storage, packaging, and transport. It champions the export of agricultural and related commodities at internationally competitive prices.

The organization aims to channel surplus products from Indian co-operatives into international markets, ensuring enhanced demand and equitable pricing. It supports exports by managing procurement, storage, processing, packaging, branding, certification, and marketing.

In addition, NCEL arranges financing, offers technical support, builds skills, develops market intelligence, and connects members with government schemes.

By doing this, it strengthens co-operatives' capacities and broadens their footprint in global trade. Through NCEL, the co-operative model has been elevated to the national level, enabling local produce and expertise to access markets worldwide, under the guiding principle of 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' - prosperity through cooperation, as explained in the statement.

The organization has been backed by five major co-operatives: Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO), Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (KRIBHCO), National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF–Amul), and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC).