CHAPTER
ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every
student requires a particular institutional framework.  One of such framework of the student is the
co-operative.  The word co-operative can
have different interpretation.  In a
layman’s language, it means working together on working mutually.  The second interpretation , which is where
the emphasis means a special type of co-operative.  The co-operative has been defined by
different schools of thought but the various in the degree of emphasis on one
aspect or the other.

The
school of thought describes co-operative as business undertaking owned and
operated by voluntary associations in order to provide themselves with work and
wages or with goods and services.

But
the International Co-operative Alliance (I C A) defined co-operative as an
autonomous association of persons, limited voluntarily to meet their common
economic, social and cultural needs aspirations through a jointly owned and
democratically controlled enterprises. 
The role of co-operative in agricultural is an important topic of study
but already much has been done by co-operators to justify its prime role of
score securing economic and political development particularly in developed
countries like England known for consumer co-operatives.  France known for industrial co-operative and
Germany known for credit co-operative. 
Co-operative movement is world wide phenomenon.  It has developed from simple traditional
form(s) of mutual institution  of modern
formally organized institution.  This
institution gained world wide acceptance because of the grate role.  It has been playing in the economic
development of various countries particularly in the developing countries.  The improvement of agricultural production
through co-operative inevitable has social effects.  Co-operative management bring better yield
which in turn yields better living standard, better housing, better  education for members and their
families.  This economic success of co-operative
society has been witnessed invaluably in co-operative studies.

In
Delta State, most inhabitants survive through and the main occupation is
substantial farming, which attracted interest many co-operative societies, both
existing ones and new initiated ones. 
Improving the agricultural production was their main target and interest
and at the same time lifting the level of its individuals.  Improvement target was both in size and qualities
were poor and could not be marketed most of the crops having pest scales and
most couldn’t grow well in other to produce as expected.  The product that were severely affected were
yam tubers, cassava stems and tubers, cocoa yams, vegetables.

1.2  
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Nigeria
had 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 farmers who are still involved in manual labour type of farming in
co-operative and had failed to produce enough food for our teeming population
thereby the country to be involved in importation of large quantity of food
with a huge percentage decline in agricultural exports.

All
those governmental effort have not actually had much significant improvement in
this sector as much emphasis now being placed on agriculture.  The call for urgent re-examination of the
role of these agricultural production sure it’s aim of facilitating the
attainment of self-sufficiency in agriculture and making agriculture to take
its prime position in the national economy of this country in danger.

1.3  
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The
general purpose of this project report is undertaken as a study of the existing
farmers co-operative societies and their effects in improving the development
of agriculture specify.

Finally,
the study has the following objective:

(a)  
To examine the organizational set and the
operations of co-operative movement in Delta State with particular reference to
Ndokwa west local government are co-operative societies, Delta.

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

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

(d)  To
suggest pragmatic ways and means for enhancing the effectiveness of these
societies main attempt to be as food production and assist in further research
into contemporary issue on the matter.

1.4  
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Agriculture
is so importance in order to sustain any economy.  Moreover, co-operative using the agricultural
sector, thus any effort geared towards carrying out research aimed at improving
the agricultural production should be considered work while any suggestion
on  the improvement of agricultural
co-operatives should have bearing on the sector.  This is therefore the most appropriate time
to study the agricultural sector concerning the prevailing economic condition
of Delta state.

Presently,
our farmers are not adequately remunerated despite the fact they bend over
double trying to make the state sufficient and self-reliant in food production.  They cannot compete with their counterparts
in Nigeria not to talk of the part of the world.

If
they are organized in co-operative, increased productivity enhanced the profit
maximized to them and then farming will once more look attractive.

Based
on the findings of this study and suggestions proffered it is strongly believed
that the policy makers government would encourage our peasant farmers to
voluntarily join the co-operative societies. 
Moreover, healthy progrant and policies on co-operative and development
would be mounted in addition, it would enable the manager of co-operative and
organization to adequately organize the co-operative farmer for increased food
production.  Furthermore, colleges of
co-operatives, schools and researcher who wish to carry  out research in this field have been provided
a springboard from where they can take off.

1.5  
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This
study will attempt to examine the policies of Ndokwa West Local Government Area
farmers co-operative societies.  Delta
state on agricultural development are one charging and the importance of
co-operative using our small scale farmers for increased in food production.

The
constraint in achieving the desired development in agriculture and proferring
of possible solution to overcome them shall also be examined in this project
report.

However,
in preparing this report, the researcher been handicapped by an inadequacy of
time to been easy to contact most of the members of the co-operative and the
state co-operative apexes whose views would have helped in encouraging a
broad-base approached, as literature on the topic is rather scanty.  Moreover, most of the workers who were
contented do not keep up to date statistical records – which would have been
useful in the analysis of the data collected.

Some
members of co-operative are large, if not totally, ignorant of what the
co-operative involves.  Nor are they
familiar with its modus operand hence most of the information supplied by them
could be incorporated in the study.

Financial
constrains coupled with lack of hardly transport also rendered my mobility
rather limited.

1.6  
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.    
Does co-operative helps to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural production?

2.    
Does agricultural product helps to improve
peoples standard of living?

3.    
To what extent has agriculture contributed
tremendously to the overall development of economic of Nigeria?

4.    
How can you as a member of co-operative
help to remedy some of the problems facing the development of co-operative society?

5.    
Does government show much concern to
appreciate the work of co-operative in increasing productivity?

1.7  
DEFINITION OF TERMS

Most of their term (words or phrase that
are used in this projects report may be unfamiliar or may have peculiar meaning
and connotation.)

These
terms includes:-

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

2.  Farm
Management: The application of farming science and
technology as the solution of the day to day problems facing the farms.

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
laws.

4.Small-scale
Individual farmers: 
This implies that a farmer whose total cultivable farm land is not more
than hectares and whose farm labour requirement are largely supplied by his
family, his sells are good in a localized market.  He requires low initial capital investment
farms on small holdings with simple technology and at least 60% of his annual
income from agriculture.

5.Enofed:  This means Ndokwa west
local government area co-operative federal limited.  It is the highest co-operative body in this
state that gives supervisory to other co-operative bodies in the state.

6.Co-operative
Society:   It
is a form of organization whereby people voluntarily associate together as
human beings on the basis of equality for the promotion of the economic interests
of themselves.

7.Auxiliary
Co-operatives: 
This type provides individual service to members.  The co-operatives main function are to
provide credit supply and market and storage the co-operative has no hand in
the supervision and management affairs of member farm.

8.Productive
Type:  Here there is a
full integration.  The co-operation
absorbs all the member business enterprise that is members’ economic
responsibilities are borne be the co-operatives is found in Delta, Ndokwa West
Local Government Area.

9. Production Promotion
Co-operative:  This is co-operative
by integration, the farmer depends on society for his production
activities.  This is a strong link
between the co-operative and members in areas of management marketing credit
and decision making.