By Ishan Verma, Founder & Editor Theexamhub.in | June 25, 2026
In a major development for the cooperative sector in Chhattisgarh, senior administrative officer and director Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED represented the state at the high-profile national launch of four major agricultural welfare initiatives in New Delhi. Under the leadership of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, NAFED introduced NAFEX.in, DRISHTI, ERP, and NAFED Kalyan programs. Shashikant Dwivedi, who serves as the Authorized Officer of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED) and as a national director at NAFED, detailed how these programs will directly eliminate middlemen and support the state’s agricultural economy.
The national launch represents a transition in agricultural marketing. By adopting modern digital systems, NAFED seeks to ensure that the profits of farming reach the actual producers, establishing a transparent system for trade and financial management.
Core Initiatives Shared by Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED
- Direct Payment Guarantee: Under the new system, farmers will receive payments for their crops directly in their bank accounts within 48 hours of transaction completion.
- NAFEX.in e-Auction Portal: A newly launched digital platform that connects cooperative societies and bulk buyers to facilitate transparent pricing.
- DRISHTI System: An advanced technological tool designed for real-time inventory and procurement tracking across NAFED’s warehouses.
- ERP Platform: Enterprise Resource Planning software designed to digitize and integrate NAFED’s administrative and financial operations.
- NAFED Kalyan Scholarship: A newly established welfare program that uses 1% of the cooperative’s net profits to provide higher education scholarships for farmers’ children.
The Turnaround of NAFED: From Crisis to Profit
The introduction of the portals, as described by Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED, represents the culmination of a decade of structural reforms within the organization. Historically, NAFED faced severe financial distress and was on the verge of operational closure in 2014 due to accumulated debt.
Highlighting the financial turnaround, Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED noted that strategic capital support and policy directions under the central government helped revive the cooperative. Today, NAFED has emerged as a financially stable entity, serving over 74 lakh farmers across India with an annual turnover of Rs 30,000 crore and a net profit of Rs 500 crore. This stability has enabled NAFED to expand into organic farming, bio-fertilizer production, and international trade.
To read more about NAFED’s cooperative procurement guidelines and policies, visit the official NAFED India Portal.
Strategic Impact on Chhattisgarh’s Agricultural Economy
For the local agricultural sector, the leadership of Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED promises to bring several state-level benefits. Chhattisgarh is a major agricultural hub, especially for paddy, millets, and pulses. Integrating state-level cooperative marketing federations with NAFED’s new digital platforms will help streamline local procurement processes.
Under the new cooperative guidelines, NAFED has committed to purchasing 100% of the pulses produced by local farmers over the next two years. For Chhattisgarh’s pulse growers (especially in areas like Bastar and Surguja), this guarantees a stable market at fair prices. The 48-hour payment guarantee through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) will also help improve liquidity for rural households, reducing their reliance on local informal moneylenders.
To learn more about local state-level procurement systems, you can explore the official Chhattisgarh MARKFED Portal.
High-Level National Presence in New Delhi
During the New Delhi event, Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED joined several other state cooperative directors and national leaders. The central launch on June 23, 2026, was led by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, alongside Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, MoS Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, and NAFED Chairman Jethabhai Ahir.
During the conference, Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the newly launched NAFEX.in portal is designed to eliminate the network of local middlemen who historically extracted profit margins from rural trade. He urged state cooperative boards to adopt these digital platforms quickly to ensure that national reforms translate into field-level benefits for rural communities.
Relevance for UPSC and CGPSC Aspirants
For state service candidates, understanding the role of Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED in national cooperative policy is highly useful. More state-level updates can be found in our Chhattisgarh State News Section.
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Syllabus
- GS Paper III (Agriculture & Economy): Marketing of agricultural produce, issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies, minimum support prices (MSP), and the role of cooperative societies.
- GS Paper II (Governance): Multi-state cooperative societies, digitization of public services, and the role of government agencies in stabilizing agricultural trade.
CGPSC State Services Syllabus
- Chhattisgarh Economy & Agriculture: Role of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED), state procurement targets, and cooperative models.
- Regional Geography: Crop patterns in Chhattisgarh, pulse-producing regions, and socio-economic development initiatives in rural areas.
Quick Revision Table: Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED Representation
| Key Parameter | Details of State and National Reforms |
|---|---|
| Key Officer | Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED Director & CG MARKFED Officer |
| Event & Venue | National Launch of NAFED Initiatives; New Delhi (June 23, 2026) |
| Four Core Schemes | NAFEX.in (e-Auction), DRISHTI (Inventory), ERP (Digital Admin), NAFED Kalyan |
| Payment Target | Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) within 48 hours of sale |
| Pulse Procurement Goal | 100% procurement directly from farmers in the next two years |
| Welfare Benefit | 1% net profit of NAFED allocated to scholarships for farmers’ children |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED?
Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED is the Authorized Officer of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED) and serves as a national Director on the board of NAFED, representing Chhattisgarh’s cooperative interests.
2. What is the primary significance of the Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED representation?
Shashikant Dwivedi’s participation in the New Delhi launch ensures that Chhattisgarh’s cooperative marketing bodies are directly aligned with NAFED’s newly launched digital systems (NAFEX.in, DRISHTI, ERP), helping to streamline agricultural trade in the state.
3. How will the NAFEX.in portal benefit Chhattisgarh’s farmers?
The portal allows local cooperative societies to sell agricultural produce directly to bulk buyers, eliminating middlemen and securing payments in the farmers’ bank accounts within 48 hours of a transaction.
4. What is the newly launched NAFED Kalyan scheme?
NAFED Kalyan is a welfare scheme under which NAFED will allocate 1% of its annual net profits to fund higher education and career development scholarships for the children of registered farmers.
5. How does NAFED’s turnaround affect its capacity to support agriculture?
Having recovered from potential closure in 2014, NAFED now operates with an annual turnover of Rs 30,000 crore and Rs 500 crore in profits. This financial stability allows it to invest in rural infrastructure, commit to 100% pulse procurement, and support welfare schemes.
Conclusion
The modernization of the cooperative sector, driven by officials like Shashikant Dwivedi NAFED, will continue to play a key role in improving rural economies. By integrating state-level marketing bodies like CG MARKFED with national digital systems, Chhattisgarh’s farmers are positioned to benefit from faster payments and transparent price discovery. As NAFED works toward its target of 100% pulse procurement and expands its social welfare initiatives, these cooperative systems will remain essential for promoting sustainable development and self-reliance in rural India.
