This department is crucial in ensuring potato cooperatives’ growth, sustainability, and effective governance. Its key functions include:
- Regulation and Compliance – Ensuring potato cooperatives adhere to legal frameworks, governance structures, and registration requirements.
- Capacity Building – Providing training and education on cooperative management, financial literacy, and modern farming techniques.
- Financial and Market Access – Facilitating linkages with financial institutions for credit access and supporting market linkages to enhance product sales.
- Resource Mobilization – Assisting cooperatives in securing grants, government subsidies, and donor funding for infrastructure development, mechanization, and storage facilities.
- Conflict Resolution and Governance Support – Mediating internal disputes, promoting transparency, and strengthening leadership structures within cooperatives.
- Policy Formulation and Advocacy – Representing farmers in policymaking processes to ensure favorable conditions for cooperative growth.
- Monitoring and Evaluation – Tracking the progress of cooperatives, providing technical assistance, and ensuring sustainability through regular assessments.
Overall, the Cooperative Department acts as a bridge between the government, private sector, and farmer-based organizations to enhance the productivity, profitability, and resilience of Potato cooperatives.