IFFCO evolving into a new innovative avatar; MD on 53rd anniversary

3rd November was the foundation day of fertilizer cooperative IFFCO and on this day its Managing Director Dr U S Awasthi pledged to work together for the growth of farmers and cooperatives. The IFFCO has now completed 53 years of its existence.

Standing as the world’s largest fertilizer cooperative, it was on November 3 in 1967 when the IFFCO was founded to help farmers with the production of quality fertilizers. The number of cooperative societies associated with the IFFCO has risen from 57 in 1967 to more than 39,800 at present.

Sharing his message on the occasion, the IFFCO MD said, “Congratulations to everyone associated with IFFCO on it’s 53rd anniversary today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your best wishes”.

“Today, IFFCO could achieve all this due to the strong commitment & dedication of our Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors, Cooperators, Members, Media, Policy Makers, all employees of IFFCO & associated companies and our farmers”, it added.

It further reads, “I am sure that together, we will keep walking on IFFCOs growth trajectory for the benefit of farmers & cooperatives. We are now heading towards a new innovative avatar of this global cooperative with the same commitment of serving farmers. Jai Kisan, Jai Sahkar & Jai Bharat”.

People took the social media platform to congratulate the IFFCO on its foundation day. One of the followers of Awasthi wrote, ” Congratulations to all who are and were associated with such a great organization, but let us not forget the late Paul Pothen and late L R talawar and their team who at that time tirelessly worked hard to make its strong base. Congrats to u sir”.

Another wrote, ” Many congratulations to the IFFCO Management and employees. We are proud of having Respected Paul Pothen sir and Respected Awasthi sir as captain of IFFCO. With best regards. ” Sir, many congratulations to the entire IFFCO family on the 53rd Foundation Day of IFFCO. I feel very fortunate that I am also a part of a great organization like IFFCO. Jai Hind”, another follower wrote.

In the 60s the cooperative sector had adequate infrastructure to distribute fertilizers but had no production facilities of its own and hence was dependent on public/private sectors for supplies. The IFFCO was conceived to fill up the gap.

Initially, IFFCO commissioned ammonia-urea complex at Kalol and the NPK/DAP plant at Kandla both in the state of Gujarat in 1975. Another ammonia- urea complex was set up at Phulpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1981.

Readers would recall that in 2017, the IFFCO celebrated Golden Jubilee at its Kalol Unit in Gujarat. The gala event was attended by who’s who of the cooperative world not only from India but also from across the world.