The status of member’s participation in seed producer and marketing cooperatives in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Minilek Kefale* Tadesse Deselagne, Ahmed Yimam, Dawit Tsegaye

Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Integrates Seed Sector Development Programme

Corresponding author Email: minilekkefale@rocketmail.com

Accepted 03 October, 2012

Abstract

The seed producer and marketing cooperatives play a great role in addressing the problem of food insecurity by provision of basic seed to the farmers which are high yielding and marketable varieties. The objectives of the study were to assess the extent and status of members’ participation in seed producer and marketing cooperatives. The total members in those cooperatives were 248, from this, 42 were selected systematically by random sampling. The extent and status of member’s participation in seed producer and marketing cooperatives have measured by calculating the score value of the participation index. The extent of members participation is high in activities like participation in different meetings, selling and buying produce,  purchasing agricultural inputs from the cooperative, participating in general assembly and in experience sharing’s, but it is weak in dividend or sharing profits, training, leadership and participation in buying additional shares to reduce capital deficiency of the cooperative. The participation status of members has been categorized into low, medium and high, but all fallen under the category of low. Therefore partners who were involved in cooperative promotion and development should focus on the interest of the members, when organizing cooperatives. Organizers at all level should be skilful to assist on knowledge based. Provide training, keeping autonomous, development of entrepreneurship skill and advices are some of the important conditions suggested to increase members’ participation in rural cooperatives.

Keywords: participation, seed, cooperative, marketing