A K Yadav
Managing Director, The Haryana State Cooperative
Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (HAFED)
“As an organization, HAFED is committed to serve the Farmers of the State by supplying quality agricultural inputs and providing effective Marketing Support and Value Added Services,” says A K Yadav
Please provide us with an overview of the work that HAFED is doing in Haryana. HAFED is an apex Cooperative Marketing Federation of Haryana and it came into the existence on November 1, 1966.
Ever since its inception, it is playing a lead role in serving the farmers of the State and also the customers of various HAFED consumer products. HAFED has a brand value in the market and is known for supplying hygienic and quality products to the consumers. As an organization, HAFED is dedicated in the services of the farmers of the State by supplying quality agricultural inputs and providing effective marketing support and value added services. HAFED is a cooperative venture and remains a pride of the cooperatives.
HAFED is a major supplier of fertilizers to the farmers. Please tell us about the process by which the fertilizer is procured for distribution? HAFED has been designated as the sole nodal agency for supplying various types of fertilizers to the farmers of the State through cooperative network. HAFED has its own earmarked godowns throughout the state where adequate quantities of various fertilizers, mainly, DAP and Urea are stocked in advance so as to avoid criticality when the demand is at its peak. About 30% of the total demand of DAP and 50% of Urea of the state is routed through HAFED. HAFED procures the fertilizers from various manufacturers or importers like IFFCO, KRIBCO, IPL and NFL to keep the supply chain functional at all times. With a view to promote Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACSs) and Cooperative Marketing Societies (CMSs) and make them financially viable, HAFED came out with a novel Fertilizer Supplies Policy, 2013 to share part of its profit with them. HAFED believes in the prosperity of all its affiliates so that dream of prosperity of cooperative movement does not remain elusive.
What steps are you taking to ensure that there is more efficiency in the operations of HAFED?
Since HAFED has multifarious activities to perform to the satisfaction of the farmers and consumers, HAFED cannot afford to downgrade its parameters of efficiency. We in HAFED believe to attain excellence at all levels. We strive to maintain the standards of quality, keep our rates competitive yet make some profit for future expansion and interest of the masses. We are substantial players in improving not only the state economy but also a big substantial contributor to the State taxation.
What is the main objective for the agri-inputs that HAFED is supplying?
The organization is also involved in the procurement of food grains. Please provide us with an overview of that are also. The main objective is to make available quality agricultural inputs to the farmers at reasonable price at the doorstep of farmers throughout the year. To boost the agricultural production in the State, timely supply of inputs to the farmers is of paramount importance. HAFED is rendering yeoman’s service in making available agricultural inputs at reasonable price at the doorsteps of the farmers through cooperative marketing societies and Primary Agricultural Cooperative in the State. Future, HAFED is the lead procurement agency for procuring all foodgrains for the central pool, prominent among them being wheat and paddy.
Haryana produces more than 10 million tons of foodgrains annually. Alongwith Punjab, Haryana remains the second largest contributor to the central pool. At present, there are more than 365 mandis in the State which are being serviced by the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board. It would be relevant to mention that Haryana is adopting the latest scientific techniques to improve the production and productivity of main crops. It would be worthwhile to mention that Haryana has bagged Krishi Karman Awards twice for being the best performing state in Wheat for Rabi 2010-11 and Rabi 2011-12. Apart from the hard work of the farmers in bringing this laurel to the State, the Government agencies, like HAFED, Haryana State Seed Certification Agency, State Agricultural University and their extension services also play a major role in transferring the scientific techniques to the farmers.
Storage of food-grains is an area of concern for our country, as there is unavailability of sufficient number of good warehouses. Wheat kind of work is HAFED doing in this area?
I agree that warehousing remains one of the critical areas for storage of foodgrains throughout the country. As far as HAFED is concerned, we have been able to take appropriate steps during the last three years to increase the storage capacity of foodgrains for which HAFED has been designated as sole nodal agency for construction of godowns under 10 years guarantee Private Entrepreneur Godown-2008 (PEG) Scheme. Out of a total of 36.53 lakh MTs capacity allotted to Haryana by the Food Corporation of India, Haryana shall be completing 30 lakh MTs capacity before the close of the current financial year.
The remaining balance capacity is at different stages of allocation and completion and in all probabilities would be completed in the ensuing financial year. Apart from this, the HAFED has also created its own warehousing to the tune capacity of 11.89 lakh MTs. I am happy to share that Haryana shall be setting a new trend in this area. It will not only improve the scientific storage by way of preservation of foodgrains but also minimize the storage losses.
HAFED has many rice mills located in Haryana. Please give us the details?
It is true that HAFED is having 11 Rice Mills located at various stations, namely, Ratia, Jakhal, Kalayat, Dhand, Ladwa, Pehowa, Radaur, Taraori, Ding, Kalanwali and Rania. These mills are contributing to the private milling capacity Custom Milled Rice (CMR) to be delivered to the Food Corporation of India. HAFED looks forward to modernize some of these mills in a phased manner to meet the marketing requirements.
In the area of consumer products HAFED has attained major success. Please tell us about the consumer products that you are focusing on?
HAFED is one of the very few brands which believe in quality. Our consumer products have generated demand not only within the state but outside also. Delhi and Chandigarh are the markets besides Haryana, where HAFED is making an impact. All big institutes, like Panjab University and PGI Chandigarh, Lawrence School, Sanawer and other institutes of the State have a fancy for HAFED consumer products. We maintain our production chain so that marketing network does not dry up and all the consumer goods remain available to the consumers at all convenient locations.
Interestingly, HAFED has been making inroads in Leh and Ladakh area of Jammu & Kashmir and also the hilly tracts of Himachal Pradesh. Our Atta, Basmati Rice, Mustard Oil, Turmeric Powder and Sugar are much sought after items. Our Atta in particular is a delicacy. We are putting in extra efforts to meet out the rising demands of the customers. HAFED proposes to introduce three new items shortly which are Multi-grain Atta, Desi Wheat Dalia and Whole Gram. We probably would be the first manufacturer of the Desi Wheat Dalia in the country. Many prominent retail chains have indicated their interest in the new launches of HAFED.
What vision you have for the HAFED as its Managing Director?
We stand for quality and we will continue to be a leader in quality parameters. As a cooperative institution, we strive to stay at the top. As the Managing Director, it is my effort to add a new range of consumer goods, mainly, pulses in the basket of consumer products for HAFED. The purpose is to supply these consumer items on affordable prices within the area of our operation. Instead of adding new geographical territories, I would like to concentrate on the area where HAFED is engaged at present. HAFED strives to be pride of the cooperatives. I also take this opportunity to thank my team partners for making this happen. With the objective to improve efficiency and transparency in its system, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been adopted in all its business areas. It gives me satisfaction that HAFED is making on-line payment to the sugarcane suppliers on the same day from this year. HAFED’s own Sugar Mills at Assandh has made this a hard-earned reality. HAFED has been able to make the payment to the sugarcane suppliers on the same day and HAFED is probably the only Sugar Mill in the country to achieve this milestone.
Tell us various organization government or non-government those are helping HAFED in doing its work.
We have many organizations like Food Corporation of India (FCI), Food & Supplies Department of the State of Haryana, Directorate of Agriculture, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Cooperation Department which are working in tandem to make the dreams of the cooperatives realized. All the policy decisions are taken by the Board of Directors (BOD) of HAFED which is an elected body. I also take this opportunity to thank all these departments for their support
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