1.1 Introduction
Cooperative societies constitute the most important aspects of agriculture rural development. It was proposed as a result of the evils of the industrial revolution as of 1750 – 1850. The purpose of agricultural cooperatives is to help farmers increase their yields and incomes by pooling their resources to support collective service provisions and economic empowerment. Given their primary remit to contribute to smallholder farmer production, agricultural cooperatives are seen as critical in achieving the government’s development targets in the Growth and Transformation Plan, and focusing on other types of cooperatives requires an alternative framework for analysis.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Cooperatives have been dedicated to conducting business in a way now being recommended as the most effective route to transformational development: putting people in charge of their own destinies and helping them bring services to their communities; increasing decision making, trust and accountability through democratic participation; providing a profitable connection to the private sector; building and protecting assets at the community level; limiting the role of government; and working together to resolve problems.
Cooperatives societies have spread all over the countries of Africa, more especially in Nigeria it was because of its vital roles towards the development of rural areas that led to its proposal after the F.C strick land report. Cooperative society help to reduce the sufficient of less privileged ones living in the problem of poverty, unemployment and poor standard of living among rural dwellers need a self help organization were they will pool their little resources together to help themselves this will stop total dependence in government assistance by means of forming a cooperative society that is collective action they will be able to solve their individual problems.
Cooperative is an association of people who comes together to solve their problems through mutual action. It raises its head in metropolis as well as in cosmetropolitan environment. It was the uniqueness of cooperative and its flexibility permits it to be practiced among farmers, fishersmen, artisans and woman. Cooperative societies do not discriminate either in sex, religion or race, it is for all both producers and consumers, men and women the rich and the poor the educated and the illiterates engaged in cooperatives activities.
A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, as well as cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise (COPAC, 1999). A Co-operative is a group-based and members-owned business that can be formed for economic and social development in any sector (Ohio Co-operative Development Centres (OCDC) 2007). According to DFID (2005), co- operatives have four main characteristics: first, they are formed by groups of people, who have a specified need or problem. Secondly, the organization is formed freely by members after contributing to its assets. Thirdly, the organization formed, is governed democratically in order to achieve desired objectives on equitable norms, and fourthly, it is an independent enterprise promoted, owned and controlled by people to meet their needs. Cooperatives provide self-employment through millions of worker-owners of production and service cooperatives; financial cooperatives mobilize capital for productive investment and provide people with secure institutions for the deposit of savings; consumer cooperatives provide households with affordable goods and services reducing the proportion of income used for basic living costs, and similarly user-owned cooperatives such as housing, utility, health and social care cooperatives provide affordable access to basic services.
Cooperative as socio-economic institutions through their activities could be a potent tool for poverty alleviation particularly in fighting poverty and unemployment. This could be in the area of agriculture, provision of infrastructural facilities and education. Therefore, in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Cooperative as an Agent of Agriculture Development.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Cooperative as agent of agriculture development, the development of rural areas cannot be achieved as was expected by rural dwellers. This is because people were much dependent in government to provide all their needs which they cannot be able to solve completely because of voluminous works and other needs they have to attain. Hence government encourages people to form organization in which they should come together to solve their problems.
Cooperatives society is of the major organization were people mostly in rural areas emerged together to achieve their set objectives the problem is to access how important cooperative societies it to the rural development.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the roles of Cooperative as an Agent of Agriculture Development in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To provide insight into the role cooperative societies plan in the development of agriculture
- To examine problems militating against cooperative activities in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State
- To provide insight into the process through which the community and cooperative leaders can ensure genuine development of agriculture in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State
- To identify the aid of cooperative society in motivation of rural people to form a cooperative society.
- To know how cooperative agent have helped to solve unemployment problems in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State
- To know how cooperative agent have helped the farmers to receive government assistance.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does cooperative society help in education of the farmers in rural areas?
- Do cooperatives help in eliminating the middlemen and the extortioners?
- Does cooperative society organize market for agricultural farmers?
- Does cooperative agent help farmers to receive government grants and subsidy?
- Do cooperative help them in provision of transport facilities for farm product dispatch?
- What role does cooperative agent play in the development of agriculture in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State?
- What are the problems associated with the cooperatives in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State?
- What forms of benefits do members derive from the cooperative societies in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State?
- What are the processes that community and cooperative leaders take to ensure genuine development of agriculture in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State?
- What measures can government embark on to enhance cooperative development?
