Success Story: Amul and IFFCO have got first and second position in the global list of World Cooperative Monitor. This moment is very special for India. Let us tell you that IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited) is the world’s largest fertilizer cooperative federation based in India. It is India’s largest multi-state cooperative society, which provides fertilizers and agricultural services to farmers across the country. Established in 1967, IFFCO today has more than 35,000 cooperative societies associated with it.
This organization is not limited to just making fertilizer, but is playing an important role in improving many aspects of the lives of farmers.
When was IFFCO started?
The operating structure of IFFCO is quite special. In the 1960s, the role of India’s cooperative sector was very big. At that time, about 70 percent of the fertilizer used in the country was distributed through cooperative institutions. These institutions had a good system for distributing fertilizers, but had no facilities for their own production.
Therefore, they had to depend on government or private companies for the supply of fertilizer. To overcome this problem and to meet the increasing demand in the country, the idea of forming a new cooperative institution came up keeping in mind the needs of the farmers. This was a unique initiative, in which the farmers of the country, through their cooperative societies, created an organization that could protect their interests.
Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is the result of this thinking. When it was started in 1967, only 57 cooperative societies were associated with it. Today this number has increased to more than 39,800. IFFCO was registered as a multi-unit cooperative society on 3 November 1967.
Main work of IFFCO
Later, it was recognized as a multi-state cooperative institution under the Multistate Cooperative Society Act of 1984 and 2002. The main work of IFFCO is to produce and distribute fertilizers to the farmers. A proper structure of the organization’s activities has been decided in its bye-laws, due to which it works with its cooperative principles.
Priority given to the welfare of farmers
Rather than just a fertilizer company, IFFCO is seen as an institution that deeply impacts both the economy and society of rural India. Its biggest strength is that it keeps the welfare of farmers as its priority. IFFCO did many things which were considered new and risky at that time, but later they brought a big change in the lives of farmers. For example, IFFCO was the first organization in the country to get a license for general insurance in rural areas. Under this insurance scheme, farmers were given insurance coverage along with the purchase of fertilizers, which gave them additional security.
Benefits ranging from mobile connectivity to insurance
Apart from insurance, IFFCO also took steps in many other areas of rural development. It created agricultural centers at the village level, from where farmers could easily get seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and farming equipment. Due to this, farmers did not need to go to distant cities to get goods and their costs also reduced. IFFCO also adopted technology with time. It partnered with Airtel to take the initiative to increase mobile connectivity for farmers, so that they can get market information, weather reports and agricultural advisories directly on their phones.
IFFCO has also done a lot of work in the direction of environmental protection. Under its social afforestation program, forests were created on about 36,000 hectares of land, which created environmental balance and increased greenery in rural areas. IFFCO also did not ignore the economic and social needs of the farmers. It started providing financial support to farmers by learning from institutions like Pakistan Finance. During natural disasters, such as the Gujarat earthquake, IFFCO helped by providing relief materials, medical aid and scholarships to needy families. For the welfare of farmers, it also created new opportunities for them by joining commodity exchanges like NCDX.
IFFCO is not just a cooperative organization but is the backbone of rural India. Its thinking is based on the welfare of farmers, self-reliance and sustainable development. The continuous hard work done in the interest of farmers has made IFFCO an example of India’s cooperative movement today.
