Importance of Cooperatives Societies in Agriculture:

Subject : Agricultural Science

Term : Second Term

Week : Week 2

Class : jss 3, Year 9

Topic : Cooperatives Societies in Agriculture:

Average age :  12

Reference Book : Agricultural Science for JSS 3 by Are et al.

Behavior Objectives :  At the end of the lesson. Pupils should be able to

a) Mention various types of Agricultural Cooperatives in Nigeria

b) State Various Objectives of Agricultural cooperative Society

c) mention the usefulness of different types of farm animals

Instructional materials : Wall charts, textbooks, pictures on card boards, flash cards

CONTENTS: 1. Definition and Objectives of an Agricultural cooperative society 

                    2.Types of Agricultural Cooperatives 

                     3.  Importance of Cooperative Societies

SUB-TOPIC 1: DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES OF AN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE SOCIETY

Introduction

Cooperative first started in England in 1844 by a group of textile workers called ”Rockdale Society of equitable pioneers”. The aims of forming the cooperative at that time were to raise enough capital to open a shop and exhibit their jointly and later create employment opportunities for their members by establishing a manufacturing company.

Definition of an Agricultural cooperative society

Agricultural cooperative or farmers cooperative is a business organization in which a group of individuals who have common interest agreed to pool their resources together for production or to distribute goods and services  for the purpose of making profit and maintaining the welfare of members.

Cooperative society is owned and controlled by members who may be from two persons to a number which has no maximum.

Objectives of Agricultural cooperative Society 

The main objectives of cooperatives are:

1. To assist their members financially by giving the needy ones loans with low or without interest.
2. To make goods and services available to the members at affordable prices.
3. To counteract the activities of their capitalistic counterparts.
4. To encourage members to form the habit of saving their money.
5. To encourage and assist members to acquire assets of their own.
6. To encourage their members form the habit of saving money
7. To assist their members financially by giving them loans with low interest rate
8. To encourage and assist members to acquire assets themselves
9. To save members from embarrassingly high interest rate charged by banks before giving loans
10. To encourage cordial and interpersonal relationship among members.

Sub-Topic 2: Types of Agricultural Cooperatives

Agricultural cooperatives include:

1. Producers cooperative societies.
2. Consumer cooperative societies.

iii. Multi-purpose cooperative societies.

1. Thrift and credit cooperative societies.
2. Produce marketing cooperative society
3. Producers cooperative societies

This type of agricultural cooperative, apart from producing, undertakes the buying, storage, transportation and marketing of agricultural produce like cocoa, palm produce, rubber, coffee, etc.  They usually buy from individual farmers who are members of the cooperatives, and from other sources.

They often sell to retailers and can undertake the exportation of such crops. Some cooperatives contribute money to buy or hire tractors and other farm inputs at reduced rates meant for promotion of farm activities.

1. Consumer cooperative societies

These undertake the distribution and marketing of agricultural goods and services. They buy consumer goods and sell them at market prices. They by-pass the middlemen in order to get these goods at cheaper rates and distribute to their members. They then share the profits among the financial members based on their rates of purchases from their stock.

iii. Multi-purpose cooperative societies

This type is varied in function. They can undertake bulk buying of farm inputs like fertilizers, farm implements etc. and sell to members at moderate prices. They also sell to non-members.

1. Thrift and credit cooperative societies

These extend credits to their members as well as mobilize savings among their members. Members contribute money as shares; they give loans to members from such contributions. In some, members collect their total savings monthly, in rotation or at the end of the year.

1. Produce marketing cooperative society

This society is mainly concerned with the marketing of members’ produce for their benefits. They engage in purchase, storage, transportation and marketing of agricultural produce like cocoa, palm produce, coffee, rubber and other food crops which are supplied by the members.

EVALUATION

1. What is an agricultural cooperative society?
2. List four types of agricultural cooperative societies
3. List three objectives of agricultural cooperative societies.

Sub-Topic 3:IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES

1. They can move easily to obtain loans from banks than individual farmers.
2. They prevent hoarding, inflation and deflation.
3. They participate in production
4. They help to stabilize trade by their bulk buying and selling in small quantities at reduced prices.
5. They have higher bargaining power in marketing their farm produce than small scale individual farmers.
6. All the members have equal rights, and the pride of ownership makes them work hard for the success of the society.
7. They enable farmers to obtain loans at better terms and conditions than that of commercial banks
8. They improve the status of their members by helping them to acquire personal assets
9. Members can come together to establish a cooperative bank which will develop the economy
10. They encourage members to produce more. The surplus can be exported to earn foreign exchange for the country
11. They promote marketing of produce by carrying out marketing functions
12. They provide capital for economic development
13. They help farmers to form a saving habit through credit and thrift.
14. They improve the living standard of members.
15. Members acquire more knowledge, skills and experience through continuous agricultural extension education.
16. They help in marketing promotion by carrying out marketing functions.

EVALUATION

State five importance of agricultural cooperative societies.

Objective Test:

1. Which of the following is an objective of an agricultural cooperative society?(a) To build befitting houses for members (b) To pay the school fees of members only. (c) To receive savings from members (D) To advance loans to people generally for purposes of agriculture
2. Agricultural cooperatives are formed by people who have —- (a) huge capital B, commercial farms C. common interest    D. management skills
3. Agricultural cooperative society that supplies technical services to her members is called —– co-operative. (a) consumers’ B. credit and C. multi-purpose      D. producers’
4. Which of the following is not a farm produce that an agricultural cooperative society may buy and retail to its members? (a) Gold and other precious metals. B. milk and other milk products (c) meat and fish D. maize, rice and grain crops
5. Which of the following is not an agricultural cooperative society?n(a) cocoa producers’ cooperative society (b) produce buyers’ cooperative society (c) petroleum oil producers’ cooperative society D. Agricultural multipurpose cooperative society.

Essay Test:

1. Define Agricultural Cooperative Society
2. State three importance of agricultural cooperative societies

 Presentation

Step one :The class teacher revises the previous topics

Step two : The class teacher introduces the new topic

Step three : He or she arouse the pupils interest by making the class alive, warm and interesting by making use of various instructional materials like pictures on books or cardboard or making online reference with phones, laptop or desktop computers