Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) was established in October 2009 and started to operate as a Department from March 2010 with the appointment of a Director. The main reasons for its establishment are: Firstly, to better equip and prepare the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests to cater to the needs of the rapid transition of the Agriculture sector from a primarily subsistence to a major market economy. Secondly, to strengthen the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests to effectively implement the Cooperative (Amendment) Act of Bhutan, 2009 (CAB 2009).