The Impact of Cooperative Farming Societies on the Development of Agriculture in Edo State: A Case Study of Oredo Local Government Area
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
- Determine farmer’s extent of participation in cooperative societies.
- Determine the benefits derived by respondents by being members of various cooperative societies.
- Determine major problems militating against the participation of farmers in cooperative activities.
- Make policy recommendations based on the funding.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
A co-operative society is a trading organization where various entrepreneurs or co-operative pool their resources together with all view of making profit. Apart from the usual business life some co-operative societies do engage in certain social and educational activities. It can also be define as business organization undertaken by people who have similar interest.
The first co-operative society reared its head in Rachael in 1844 that was a time when the impact of the industrial revolution was being felt greatly by the working class. The ideal of co-operative then struck some twenty eight computers or weaver. They decided to contribute #2.00 each as their initial capital. They rented a room where they exhibited their work jointed their society market the opening of a new era in business association. The co-operative societies have grown widely throughout the world.
Co-operative society takes many forms the commonest however are those of consumer and producer. All over the world. Quite poor people join together in prospective. They want to improve life for themselves and their families. They know they have together chance of doing so if they work together with their neighbours in a co-operative. For example, individual farmer sell their crops, buy fertilizer, save and borrow money or buy food and goods for their houses, all these things can be done more reliably and at a better price through a “good” co-operative.
The co-operative must be organized so that it can do thing. For itself and be able to have good use of any outside help it does receive.
A good co-operative is owned and run by it members the highest authority is the general meeting at which all member can attend and speak. Each member has the same height to one vote on each question, whether they are rich or poor, man or woman, young or old.
They also have an equal duty to do all they can to make their co-operative succeed. They should often be reminded that their co-operative will not benefits them if they leave, the decision and the work to a few leaders.
A lot of researches works have seen carried out on the activities of the co-operative with particular reference to the agricultural co-operative blow are receive of some of the work.
Erdman et al (1957) coined the definition of co-operative as a voluntary organization of person with a common interest forms and operated along democratic lines for the purpose of supplying services at cost of its members who contribute both capital and business. They went further to say the definition embraces first; it is association of people who come together of their own free will. Secondly, it is members have common interest as users of the goods and services provided by the association or as producers of the product. Thirdly, that it operates along democratic lines. This therefore goes to me that anybody is free to belong as a member. Change distributed on the basis of patronages and fifthly that co-operative contribute both capital and business in the running of the affairs of the organization.
In view of Digby et al (1965) co-operative is an association of persons usually of limited men’s, who have voluntary joined together to achieves a common economic and through the formation of a democratically controlled business organization making equitable contribution to the required and accepting fair share of the risk and benefits of the undertaking.
Co-operative farms are set up for certain reasons a usual aim or rater objective of co-operative Following Akubuilo (1976) may be stated as to offer services to member, to purchase input at subsidized prices, to supply and market consumer goods to avoid exploitation of middlemen, to help farmers (members) market their products it necessary to supply member with agricultural equipment to encourage farmers to adopt modern farming method and to do any other things that may enhance the socio-economic status of the farmer with all these aims in mind, one point stand out clear that is the rendering or services to members at cost so as to enhance agricultural production.
As different contribution will have it here exist varieties of agricultural co-operative societies. According to central bank of Nigeria (CBN) 1981, financing of agricultural in Nigeria has be face with a multitude of complex difficulties, this has led to dissipation of efforts resulting in an over all lack of effectiveness in nations attempt to injecting capital into the agricultural sector, these problem can be summarized thus.
- Problems arising from the government sector
- Problems of the level of financial institutions
- The problems of the level of farmers.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
This section is organized to highlight the procedure adopted in collecting and analyzing the data for this study.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
Descriptive survey will be adopted for this study. The design was chosen in line with the findings of Gay (1976), who stressed that descriptive research involves collection of data in Oredo to test the research questions. The research will make use of descriptive research and designed a questionnaire to ascertain the impact of cooperative societies on Agricultural Production in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
POPULATION SAMPLING
The population of this study will comprise of farmers, most especially, the ones that patronize one cooperative society or the other in the study area.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
This chapter deals with the analysis and interpretation of data collected. A total of thirty copies of questionnaire were administered to people in the selected are by the research.
QUESTION ONE: Do you believe in cooperative society?
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND COMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This study was set up to investigate the impact of co-operative society in agricultural production in Oredo Local Government Area. In the process four objectives were designed to capture the impact of co-operative society. Questionnaire which contained thirty (30) questions was used to extract information from the population sample of 100 it was revealed that most of the respondent (80) have made up use of loan from one co-operative society or the other and also access to loan and farming equipment has not been encouraging.
CONCLUSION
Nigeria is at present suffering from serious food problem and there this induction that this may continue for some time to come. Efforts have been made and are still being made to overcome these dangerous trends to small scale farmers who constitute the bulk of the farmers.
Generally, the credit disbursement is surrounded by serious administrative problem which are hindering the effectiveness of the scheme. It has also resulted in recipients farmers not enjoying the full cases it has led to putting the farmer at a disadvantaged financial position to repay the loan. In spite of all the concern government is showing much have not got to the grass root of farmers (small scale farmers). The producer’s co-operative farmers have not found it easy to secure loans. This is due to the stiff hand and purely financial consideration of credit organization on the other land. It was revealed that most of the people living in the study area believe in co-operative society 100% as well as applied for loan 80% to boost their agricultural practice. Also it was revealed that most of the co-operative societies assist their member with farming equipment with 60% agreed to this fact it was further revealed that most of the respondent 70% are not satisfied or comfortable with the accessibility of farming equipment and also most of the respondent 81% agreed that leadership has been the biggest problem affecting the smooth running of co-operative societies.
RECOMMENDATION
From the results of the research conducted above the following recommendation are hereby made
- There should be a roaster or writing policy on the acquisition of loan and farming equipment so as the foster the accessibility to loan by the member
- There should be no bias in giving out of loan to members
- There should be duration action to each government so that to allow other to execute their leadership potential.
- It is quite possible to identify actual period of credit needs of farmers especially the crop farmers, the critical period include bush clearing, tillage, ridge making planting and weeding. Having done so their credits needs should be ascertained as accurately as possible to each period.
- In spite of the existing problems, agricultural co-operative should continue, since credit could lead to increased production and enhance higher income, effort should be made to increase large sum of credit loan to farmers.
- Intensive supervision of credit of these woman farmer should be vigorously pursued efforts should also made to recruit more agricultural extension worker to ensure a wider and more effective courage of supervision.
REFERENCE
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