New Delhi, April 4 (Bureau) The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on Monday said it will play a key role in reducing the country’s reliance on imported edible oil by encouraging domestic production through oilseeds farmers organised and supported through cooperatives. In the 80s, NDDB was instrumental in setting up edible oil cooperatives across the country. It intends to re-engage substantially with edible oil cooperatives after a long gap, an official statement said. It said the Dairy Board has initiated a number of measures to support the Karnataka Cooperative Oil seeds Growers’ Federation Ltd (KOF), a state level apex federation of 3 regional oil seeds growers’ unions spread across 15 out of the 31 districts in the state.
During 2021-22, KOF and its member unions together handled more than 38,500 MT of edible oil and had a combined turnover of about Rs.630 crore. As an Institutional Member, NDDB holds 72 % of shares in KOF. NDDB, along with officers of KOF, suitably modified NDERP, NDDB’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution for the use of oil seeds cooperatives. Three modules covering Sales and Marketing, Finance and Accounting and Purchase and Inventory have been deployed live with effect from April 1, 2022. Deployment of other modules will follow soon. Being an open source system, NDERP is an extremely cost-effective ERP platform for cooperatives. Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt Ltd (MDFVPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NDDB markets ‘Dhara’ brand of edible oil across the country, sold about 1.9 lakh MT edible oil under the ‘Dhara’ brand during 2021-22. In order to help KOF procure and store oil seeds or edible oil, NDDB has sanctioned a short-term loan of Rs 16.32 crore at a concessional rate of interest of 6.25 per cent per year. This will help KOF source oilseeds and edible oil at reasonable prices during the harvest season, the statement said.