Programme Planning, Implementation and Evalution

PROGRAMME PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION 2(1+1)

Lesson 18 : Role of Local Bodies, Organizations and Extension Agencies in Programme Execution

Cooperatives

Cooperatives are institutions organized by groups of individuals for mutual help and benefit to meet their common economic requirements and to increase agricultural production. These are very effective in bringing about improvement in rural areas as they help to meet the supplies needed for the ongoing programmes.
Cooperatives are of several types, but the most important ones are:

• Primary societies or service cooperatives
• Large sized societies
• Block unions
• Cooperative marketing societies
• Cooperative industrial and labour societies
• Cooperative manufacturing and processing societies
• Cooperative farming societies
• Cane growers cooperative societies
• Cooperative banks

The aim of each cooperative is to help its members by increasing the scope of its activities. The cooperatives perform the following functions during programme execution:

• Supply of farm requirements such as improved seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, implements and other raw materials to the target group.
• Provide loans for the purchase of farm requirements and other industrial and agricultural purposes.
• Provide storage and marketing facilities to its members for the agricultural produce.
• Maintenance and supply of agricultural implements and machinery like plant protection equipments, threshers, caner crushers etc.
• Provide technical guidance to the members in matters of agriculture for increasing agricultural production.

Utilization of existing cooperatives and organization of new cooperatives wherever needed, should be done by the extension agent and for this he needs to be aware of the basics of cooperative societies. This knowledge can be utilized for financing farmers who are implementing the project as well as for supply of inputs and marketing of their produce.