Files
Abstract
The present study, carried out in the state of Maharashtra of India during
2003-04, has its focus on assessing the functional dimensions of
agribusiness cooperatives and identifying the reasons for their
unsuccessful functioning. The study is based on a case of agribusiness
cooperative dealing with the marketing of mainly fruit with its spectrum
spread over various other marketing activities. The study has evaluated
the performance of Khanapur Group Fruit Sale Co-operative Society (KFCS)
which is located about 15 km from Raver taluka of the Jalgaon district in
Maharashtra. Though it mainly deals with the marketing of banana, its
functional dimensions also encompass input marketing and various other
welfare activities. The evaluation of KFCS has revealed several deficiencies
in its functioning, the major ones being its poor grasp of studying the
market forces, its own internal drawbacks in terms of managing the Society,
its own personal interests involved in the functioning of Society, and its
failure to generate allies for lobbying to safeguard as well as promote
interests of the Society or its members. Since the existence of internal
interest-cum-entrepreneurial group in providing dedicated and efficient
leadership stands very low as the members of the Board are reported to be
self-centered with lack of motivation in terms of growth of the Society,
there has been adverse impact on the working of this Society. The study
has also revealed that because of lack of funds and losses incurred by the
Society, coupled with selfish nature of the management, the memberfarmers
have started diverting their produce to private traders. All these
factors have led to some adverse implications insofar as the functioning
of the society is concerned. The study has concluded that any agribusiness
cooperative marked with such deficiencies will end-up with a similar fate
as has been noticed in the case of KFCS.