Analysis of the Roles of Agricultural Cooperatives in Promoting Agribusiness among Cooperative Members.
This study was conducted to find out the roles of agricultural cooperatives in promoting agribusiness among cooperatives members regarding Sabo Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited located in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State. A survey design was used for the study. The population consisted of all male and female members of Sabo Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited located in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Out of a total population of 215, a sample size of 136 was involved in the study. The research question that guided the study was: What are the types of agribusiness practices by members? What are the activities carried out by the agricultural cooperatives on cooperative farmers in promoting agribusiness? What are the impacts of the activities of the cooperatives in the development of agribusiness enterprises? A questionnaire developed by the researcher based on a Likert 5-point scale was used for the study. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze respondents’ socioeconomic status while mean scores were used to analyze respondents’ responses based on the research questions. Research result shows that the types of agribusiness practiced by members are poultry production, marketing of eggs, oil processing, marketing of poultry product, marketing of grains, and marketing of vegetable products. The result equally shows that the activities carried out by the agricultural cooperatives on cooperative farmers in promoting agribusiness include, assisting members to acquire land, granting credit facilities to members, provision storage facilities for members’ farm produce, supplying farm input to members, and marketing of members’ farm produce. E.t.c. Finally, the result shows that the constraints that hinder agricultural cooperatives in promoting agribusiness among cooperative farmers include weak financial strength, high rate of loan default, lack of managerial a
Keywords: Agricultural Cooperative, Promoting Agribusiness, Cooperatives Members
