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THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION THROUGH CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES (A CASE STUDY OF ANIOCHA L.G.A, ANAMBRA STATE)

ABSTRACT

Agriculture is a science or practice of cultivating the land the keeping or breeding animal for food and for the promotion of the countries’ economy. The importance of improving Agricultural production through co-operative society especially in Anambra State, is their source of earning food and money for their survival, both man and animal around. It is also provision of raw materials for the Agro-based Industries, which helps in the production facilities programmes. Co-operative society is the coming together of different people in order to achieve a common goals and objectives of the society. They teamed up in Anambra State to cultivate   and   supply   masses   with   food  and  also   to   feed themselves with their families.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In Anambra State, most inhabitants survive through Agriculture and their main occupation is subsistence farming which attracted the interest of many co-operative societies both the old and new ones. Improving the Agricultural production was their main target and at the same time lifting the level of it size and qualities. Most of the crop couldn’t grow well in order to produce as expected.  The product that were several affected were yam tubers, cocoa yam, vegetable, cassava stem and tubers. In the sixties, Anambra State economy had a mono-sectorial dependency on Agriculture as the main source of earning, and also the main source of employment. Then we took one leaf from this dependency  on agriculture to a higher dependency on trade and white collar jobs. Anambra state  Agriculture is till completely preasentised, hoe, cutlass economy with a larg number of   small-scale  holder producers. One can observe that Anambra state is still semi-substantial   and   their   output from Agriculture production   can   neither   feed  the   fearing   population   nor  provide essential raw material for the agro-based industries.   The export of the state major cash crops which has in the past supported the economy has virtually stopped.

While a lot of observers dwell on the urgent need to reinitialize this sector, Omuma (1986)   implied   the   adverse   effects   of   no   reinitialization     of  the agricultural sector noted that under such conditions, all it needed was famine and kwashiorkor to be evident in the village. Furthermore, one   wondered   why   it   is   taking   the   state   so   long   despite   its abundant land and know-how to revitalize the agricultural sector and save the inhabitants of Anambra state who both underrated kwashiorkor stricken   and undernourished.   While emphasizing the importance of improving agriculture productions, through   co-operatives.     Igbo   (1996)     said,   it   is   now   on   the government  the dependence on the external sources of food, because it has ties their state independence to the uncertainties of ridiculed.

According to Anambra state food journal (1991), Agriculture was the back bone  of   the  state’s  economy  development   to  thousands   of   Anambra    state indigenes over 95%  of the labour force, mostly from rural areas.  Agriculture produces feeds for animals that provide proteins for man. All   these   made   the   government   to   organize   these   present   farmers   into agricultural co-operative with view of having massive food production in the country.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Co-operative movement all over the world has been considered or taken as both mean and instrument  of development whereby individual as group of people   with   common  social-economic  come   together   mutually   to   take   and solve their common socio-economic problems.  In our country today, sources of statements have been made in the newspapers and other news media, by scholars advocating the use of co-operative societies for the development and improvement of living standard of the rural people.

Meanwhile, many programmes have been launched by the federal government in support of this rural development, such as Agricultural Development Project (ADP), National Land Development Authority (NALDA), Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI), Better Life   {Programme (BLP),

etc.  Recently, the family  support programme (FSP) which was  launched by the federal  government   which   aims  at  improving   the life   of  the   rural   dwellers through   the  formation   of   co-operative  movement.    Co-operative   movement spans   through   many   aspects   of   our   economic   life   such   as   production, consumption,   distribution,   thrift,   savings   and   the   provision   of   rural

infrastructures.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigeria has embarked on various programmes and policies, costing hundreds of millions of naira aimed at reviving the depressed agricultural sector. In view of this, agricultural co-operative was instituted so as to organize the small-scale farmer who are still involve in manual labour type of farming in co-operative and had failed to produce enough food for our teaming population thereby forcing the country to be involved in importation of large quantity of food   with   a   huge   percentage   decline   in   agricultural   export.     All   these government efforts have not actually had much significant improvement in this sector as much emphasis is now being placed on agriculture.   This   call for urgent   reexamination   of   the   role   of   these   agricultural   products,   its   aim   of facilitating   the   attainment   of   self   sufficient   in   agricultural   and   making agriculture to take its prime position in the national economy of this country.

1.2  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general purpose of this project report is to undertake a study of the existing farmer co-operative societies has their efforts in improving the development of agriculture. Also the study has the following objectives:

a) To   examine   the   organizational   structure   and   the   operations   of   co-operatives   movement   in   Anambra   state   with   particular   reference   to Aniocha Local Government Area.

b) To examine the impact of the farmer co-operative societies.

c) To investigate the problems facing the farmers co-operative societies.

d) To   suggest   ways   and   means   for   enhancing   the   effectiveness of the societies and assist in further research into contemporary issue on this manner.

1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study will attempt to examine the policies of Aniocha local government development in agriculture and the importance of   co-operative in improving agriculture production.  The constraint in achieving the desired development in agriculture and providing the possible solution to overcome them shall also be examined   in   the   project   report.     However,   in   preparing   this   report,   the researcher has been handicapped by inadequacy of time to take a more detailed research.  Also, conflict in the time available.  It has not been easy to contact most of the members of the co-operative and the state co-operative farm land whose farm labour requirement is largely supplied by his family.  The sells and sold in a   localized market, that requires initial capital investment, farms on small holding with simple technology and at least 60%  of his annual income from agriculture.

1.4 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      Agricultural Productivity: The index of the ratio of the value of the total farm output to the value of the total input used  in farm production.

2.     Farm Management: The application of farming science and technology , the solution of the

day-to-day problems facing the farmers.

3.      Bye-laws: We mean the registered bye-laws made by a co-operative society which governs the activities of  such society and which is made by a society in the exercise of any power conferred by the co-operative society law.

4. Small-scale Individual farms: This implies a farmer whose total cultivatable counterparts the nation of Nigeria, not to talk of the  world.   If they are organized in co-operative increased productivity enhanced the profit maximized to them, and their farming will once more look attractive.

5.  Auxiliary Co-Operatives: This type provides individual services to number the co-operatives’ main functions which provide credit supply and market and storage.  The co-operatives main functions are to provide credits supply, market and storage. The co-operative has no   hand in the supervision and management affairs of member farm.

6. Productive Co-operatives: There is a full integration. The co-operative absorbs all the members business enterprise that is members’  economic responsibilities are borne to be the co-operative which is found in Aniocha local government area. This is co-operative by integration; the farmer depends on society for his production activities.  There is a strong link between the co-operative and members in areas of management facing them.