New Delhi, June 30: Admiral D.K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), the Lieutenant Governor, A&N Islands & Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency participated in the National Conference on International Year of Cooperatives 2025 today at New Delhi, presided over by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah.
The Lt. Governor highlighted the success story of Tribal Development Cooperative Society in Nicobar Islands wherein Virgin Coconut Oil produced by Nicobarese community was recently granted a Geographical Indication (GI) Tagging, along with six more products, an example of economic empowerment through Cooperation. He thanked the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi for including this accomplishment in his first edition of 2025 in India’s most impactful talk show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme over Akashvani.
Further, he highlighted the indiscriminate diversion of agricultural land in Andamans to commercial land through CLU (Change of Land Use) resulting in decrease in 40% agricultural land, thereby adversely impacting agriculture, agri products, dairy, poultry and animal husbandry sectors that are core segments for cooperatives. He informed that currently only 2.5% of the land area is left as Agriculture land.
The Lt. Governor expressed gratitude towards Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for declaring the Islands as a Tuna cluster and in promoting activities like motorized fishing boats, mechanized deep sea trawlers, fisheries export, and shrimp farming through the cooperative sector. He also thanked the Home Minister of India for facilitating opening up of MPEDA (Marine Products Exports Development Agency) and EIA (Exports Inspection Agency) in Sri Vijaya Puram, which will enable direct exports of Fisheries and Marine products to South East Asia, planned to be progressed through Cooperatives sector.
