Role of agricultural cooperatives in rural development in the era of liberalization in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon

Abstract

The focus of this research was to identify the role played by agricultural cooperatives in rural development in the era of liberalization in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. Primary sources were used for data collection. Questionnaires were administered to 329 respondents from 52 agricultural cooperatives in 40 villages with a response rate of 78.7% in the North West Region and 21.3% in the South West Region. Agricultural cooperatives and government officials were interviewed in both regions. Findings from the field show that 80% of the respondents agreed that agricultural cooperatives play a role in rural development especially in the areas of trainings, increased output production, the provision of inputs and marketing of farmers produce. Agricultural cooperatives can effectively and conveniently handle only two major roles in its rural development efforts: Improved Agricultural Production and Capacity Building. Seventy percent of the respondents declared that they were satisfied with the role agricultural cooperatives play in rural development despite the sociopolitical crisis in the study area. The government should increase investments in agriculture and rural infrastructure and create an agricultural bank to enable agricultural cooperatives play its role fully in rural development.

Factors Hindering Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Contributing Adequately to Poverty and Hunger Eradication among the Rural Community Dwellers in Ido-Osi Local Government Area in Ekiti State

“…A major obstacle to economic growth and social progress, poverty persists despite several government programs and efforts to ameliorate it. Tumenta, Amungwa, and Nformi (2021) found that increasing public investment in agricultural and rural infrastructure would allow the greatest number of individuals to escape poverty, and these results are consistent with their findings.…”

“…A study by Tumenta, Amungwa, and Nformi (2021) found that agricultural cooperatives played a crucial role in the development of Cameroon's North West and South West during the country's time of liberalisation. All the data came straight from the primary source.…”

Challenges and Opportunities of Agricultural Cooperative Societies on Economic Sustainability of Rural Dwellers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

“…Agricultural cooperative societies are considered as one of the important economic and social organization within the rural communities as they provide farmers with the necessary knowledge, skills and the ability to increase rural participation in the realisation of economic sustainability. Budi et al [12] argues that agricultural cooperatives around the world have been promoting a new agenda for rural development and the development of farmer-owned organizations and enterprises. Developments in recent happenings have also indicated that, although agricultural cooperatives have been affected by lack of adequate concentration on the part of investors and governments, they are still the most relevant organs that propels agricultural activities in the rural areas.…”

“…This suggest that inability of the members to repay loans as at when due. Tumenta, Amungwa, and Nformi [26] findings from the field show that 80% of the respondents agreed that agricultural cooperatives play a role in rural development especially in the areas of trainings, increased output production, the provision of inputs and marketing of farmers produce.…”

“…Akosile, Olajide, Ogiamien, and Dawodu [11] claims that there have been many programs initiated by the government both at federal, state and local government level in the past that includes National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Directorate of Food, Road, and Rural Infrastructures, National Directorate of Employment, Family Support Programme, Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP), Better Life Programme (BLP), and the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP). The study of Budi, Fonteh, and Manu [12] argues that while successive government have vested so much resources into the business of agriculture for economic sustainability of the economy, the impact of agricultural sector is however not felt as a result of poor quality and inadequacy of rural infrastructure, constraints relating to agricultural financing on production, lack of access to market information, improved technologies and the remoteness of the production areas in relation to the consumption centres. Frederick et al [1] opines that rural dwellers cultivate most of the food crops produced in Nigeria but the impact has not been noted and that the level of rural poverty in Nigeria is disheartening and very alarming and therefore, viewed cooperative societies as essential instruments for raising economic sustainability of rural dwellers.…”