About Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Limited (IFFDC)
Indian Farm Forestry Development Cooperative Limited (IFFDC) came into existence formally in 1993, although its work had begun much earlier in 1986-87. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), which has promoted IFFDC, had launched programmes of eco-restoration and wasteland development through farm forestry in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These programmes were subsequently handed over to the IFFDC for scaling up and integrating with rural livelihood development and poverty alleviation programmes.
Based on community needs, IFFDC expanded its focus beyond Farm Forestry and Climate Change to include Integrated Watershed Management, Climate Proofing, Nutritional and Economic Security, Livelihoods, CSR initiatives, Women Empowerment, Community Institution Building (including Farmer Producer Organisations), Skill Development & Income Generation, Seed Production, and Agri-Input Supply. These are implemented using participatory approaches tailored to evolving community needs.
IFFDC operates in 21 Indian states, covering all agro-climatic zones, and has implemented rural development projects worth over ₹506 crores. It also runs a Seed Production and Marketing Programme to provide quality seeds and agri-inputs to farmers.
Legal Status
IFFDC was registered on 22nd October, 1993 by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India as a Multi-State Cooperative Society under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 1984 (updated under the MSCS (Amendment) Act 2023), Registration No. “MSCS/CR/37/93”.
Membership
Members include Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC), State Cooperative Federations, Primary Farm Forestry Co-operative Societies (PFFCS), and Primary Livelihood Development Cooperative Societies (PLDCS). As of March 31, 2025, IFFDC has 172 Cooperative Societies as its members.
Share Capital
Authorized share capital: ₹100 crore
Subscribed & paid-up capital as of 31.03.2025: ₹13.37 crore
| Value of Each Share (₹) | Shareholders | No. of Shares |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited | 2,507 |
| 50,000 | National Cooperative Development Corporation | 8 |
| 10,000 | Uttar Pradesh Sahakari Gram Vikas Bank Ltd. | 1 |
| 10,000 | Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd. | 1 |
| 1,000 | Primary Farm Forestry & Primary Livelihood Development Cooperative Societies Ltd. | 7,930 |
Governance
IFFDC is committed to the integrated development of rural India. Its governance is aligned with Cooperative Values and the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Acts & Rules, 2023. The organization follows transparent processes and is guided by its Bye-laws, internal audits, and statutory reviews to ensure accountability and good governance.
Board of Directors
The Board comprises 15 members, including elected co-operators and nominated/co-opted members representing shareholder institutions. Two Board seats are reserved for elected women directors and one for a Scheduled Caste/Tribes representative.
Operationally, IFFDC is managed by skilled professionals in rural development, agriculture, engineering, social science, cooperation, finance, IT, marketing, and general management.
Appointment of Cooperative Information Officer
As per Section 106(1) of the MSCS Act, 2002 and Rule 35 of the MSCS Rules, 2002 (amended on 3rd August 2023), Shri Hari Dutt Sharma, Manager (Quality Control), IFFDC, Gurgaon, is appointed as the Cooperative Information Officer. He is responsible for providing members with information related to the affairs of the Society, subject to IFFDC's disclosure norms.