Products through Co-op societies to come under one brand `Co-op Mart'

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is mulling a unified brand and e-commerce market for products developed through cooperative initiatives. Named as ‘Co-op Mart’ the supply chain will be established all over the state. The instruction by Co-operative Societies Registrar to strengthen the marketing-consumer cooperative societies led to the new decision.

Eight institutions, that expressed willingness for branding and marketing of the co-operative products, have been shortlisted.

The Registrar had instructed to change the perspective of co-operative societies by expanding to other sectors rather than concentrating on providing loans alone. Though the societies have influence in rural areas they have no influence over distribution chain.

There are over 172 products produced through 72 cooperative societies in the state. These are high quality products, but find no market. So solve this crisis, a unified brand and e-commerce market will be established.

Apart from this many new initiatives have commenced under Subhiksha Keralam project. These would also become part of Co-op Mart.

The final decision on the nodal agency will be after project representation by all 8 firms so as to commence works by December.

It is also alleged that the efforts to sabotage the Registrar’s instruction is strong. Pressure is to select firms that have no link to consumer-marketing sector as nodal agency.