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"Moderated conference on rural advisory services for family
farms: 1-18 December 2014" < [log in to unmask]> |
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Mon, 8 Dec 2014 17:50:20 +0100 |
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This is from Mahesh Chander, again, on the topic of farmer producer organizations.
It has been recognized and emphasized by many, and in many countries, that producer organizations, cooperatives and other community-based organizations are playing a key role in providing services to smallholders and helping them voice their requirements. In India, in the dairy sector as also in sugar production, cooperatives are active since a long time. These cooperatives are highly successful in some States and ailing and failing in many other States.
While studying them a bit closely, we found that the small scale producers have serious grievances against these cooperatives too! Some small scale producers recently shared that the cooperatives are manipulated and governed by influential big farmers and small scale producers don't have much say in their management. The structure and functioning of producer organizations like cooperatives in principle do not allow for such grievances of farmers but in practice it might be true. It's a matter of further investigation and correcting the situation so that poor farmers are not exploited in institutions like cooperatives which are meant to protect the interest of members.
Today, we had a brain storming session on dairying and dairy cooperatives in an area where dairy cooperatives have miserably failed and reasons given were corruption, mismanagement and political interference in functioning of their cooperatives.
Yes, the producer organizations are great institutions to serve the interest of small scale farmers, but it is important that the principles and practices of cooperation, cooperatives and their role need to be popularized further especially among small scale producers so that the small scale producers are able to draw benefits from producer organizations.
Dr Mahesh Chander
Head
Division of Extension Education
Indian Veterinary research Institute,
Izatnagar (UP)
India
Phone +91 581 2302391, Fax: +91 581 2303284
Email: Mahesh64 (at) email.com
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