Cooperatives focused on production

 Cooperatives established in Gandaki have taken the lead in model productive work amid complaints that the country is focusing only on loans, savings and profits.

Along with increasing the investment in production by the cooperatives, it is also supporting the productivity and employment promotion of the state. There are about 2,700 cooperatives in Gandaki. Although very few of these cooperatives have not traded in savings and loans but have linked the production to the employment and economic development of the people, in recent times even the cooperatives dealing in savings and loans have been investing some of the total business in production.

 Cooperative workers in Gandaki say that they have moved ahead following the positive side of the Cooperative Provinces Act as compared to other provinces. There are various thematic cooperatives in Nepal. If we look at the statistics of cooperatives in Nepal, savings and credit cooperatives, agriculture, multi-purpose, consumer, dairy, communication, coffee, fisheries, health, bees, herbs and women's cooperatives are in operation. There are many complaints that even the cooperatives established departmentally are not functioning as intended and focus only on savings and loans.

According to the Gandaki Pradesh Cooperatives Act 2075, the cooperatives of 11 districts of Gandaki Pradesh have started focusing on production as the cooperatives have made a new and effective act in Nepal to invest 30 percent of their investment in the field of production. It is estimated that 20 percent of the 2,700 cooperatives in Gandaki are already involved in production. However, after the federalism in the district, the division cooperatives have been disbanded and there is difficulty in collecting accurate statistics.

Cooperative workers have complained that even though the office of the Registrar of Municipalities and Cooperatives has been looking after the cooperatives, the municipality has not been positive towards the cooperatives. Uday Bahadur Parajuli, registrar of the Gandaki Pradesh Cooperative Office, said that out of 937 cooperatives under the office of the Registrar of Cooperatives of Gandaki Pradesh, about 100 cooperatives are increasing their employment and income by engaging in production in one way or another. "Lately, cooperatives in Gandaki have been very developed. Agriculture and livestock cooperatives have already invested in production. At present, even those who trade in savings and loans have been investing in agriculture, animal husbandry, fruits and dairy products, ”said Registrar Parajuli.

Pokhara's Shuklagandaki Dairy Cooperative, which has been marketing milk, Kahunkot Cooperative, which has been raising buffaloes and goats, Matrubhumi Agricultural Cooperative, which has been raising potatoes and livestock, Pakwadi Agricultural Cooperative, which has been cultivating ginger, and Laliguran's Cooperative, which has been investing in vegetables and food crops. Similarly, Paudwar Tourism Cooperative of Myagdi working in the field of tourism, Nawalparasi Self-Reliant Agricultural Cooperative cultivating large vegetables, Machapuchhre Dairy Cooperative Kaski marketing more than 700 milk daily, Baglung Milk Producers Cooperative exporting churpi and Saptarangi of Baglung trading Khasi Boka. Examples of cooperatives in Gandaki are those involved in cooperative production.

It has been 20 years since the establishment of Shankhadhar Multipurpose Cooperative in Baglung district. Cooperatives have been investing in the manufacturing sector for only one year now. Along with the savings and loan business, the cooperative has started producing fruits and vegetables on 20 ropanis of rented land for the past one year.

Suresh Prasad Shrestha, acting chairman of the cooperative, said that the cooperative has started cultivating oranges, bananas, lemons and various seasonal and non-seasonal vegetables by renting 20 ropanis of land with the objective of investing some part of the business in production. "We have started commercial fruit and vegetable production on the land wasted by paying 85,000 rupees annually. Cooperatives have no choice but to join production. Even though it is late, we have joined production. Other cooperatives should also be involved in it," said Shrestha. ” Shankhadhar is a cooperative that has just joined production.

It has been found that the orange and potato farmers have been earning double income as the cold storage houses in the district are also run through cooperatives. Paudwar Tourism Cooperative has been operating a hotel in Annapurna Gaonpalika-5 Khopra of Myagdi for the past one year. Rajesh Tilija, chairman of Paudwar Tourism Cooperative, said that the first tourism cooperative registered in the village municipality aims to generate 50 kilowatts of hydropower at a cost of Rs.

Adhikhola Agri-Enterprise Cooperative of Syangja has started marketing the organic products wasted in the village. The cooperative, which was started a year ago, has been renting vehicles and marketing organic agricultural products such as milk, organic vegetables, sinki, radish and pindalu produced in the village. The cooperatives have stated that the wasted agricultural produce in the village has become very popular in the market.

Manakamana Agricultural Cooperative of Tanahu district has been doing flower business by renting seven ropanis of land, said Shivaraj Regmi, chairman of the cooperative. In Syangja, a large number of cold storage houses have been brought into operation with the investment of District Cooperative Union and Department of Cooperatives and three local municipalities. A cold storage house has been constructed in Syangja, which produces good oranges, to store oranges and distribute them off-season. A house with a capacity of 1,250 metric tons has been constructed by purchasing 13 ropanis of land in Jasidanda of Putlibazar Municipality-11.

Laxmipati Sharma, chairperson of the District Cooperative Association, Syangja, said that the farmers are expected to earn double income by selling their oranges at high prices. Cooperatives in Gandaki have been saying that they have started investing not only in the field of vegetables, fruits and dairy but also earning huge profit from it. Out of 2,700 cooperatives in Gandaki, 900 cooperatives are under the province while other cooperatives are at the local level.