ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF COOPRATIVES IN AGRICULTURAL INPUTS SUPPLY: THE CASE OF OLONKOMI MULTIPURPOSE PRIMARY FARMERS’ COOPRATIVE IN DENDI WOREDA, WEST SHOA ZONE, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

A cooperative may be defined as a member-controlled association for producing goods and services in which the participating members, individual farmers or households, share the risks and profits of a jointly established and owned economic enterprise. The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of Olonkomi Multipurpose Primary Farmers’ Cooperative (OMPFC) in supplying different agricultural inputs. Both primary and secondary data were used for this study. Sampling were taken place with a combination of probability and non - probability sampling techniques. Household level surveyed questioners were analyzed through statistical package for social science (SPSS) after which it was put under interpretations. OMPFC has been contributing in improvement of agricultural production in farm community. Its contribution related with market stabilization; fertilizer and selected seed variety distribution; and adoption and dissemination of modern agricultural implements improved the access farmers had for agricultural inputs. However, the contribution of OMPFC would have been more than the current situation if it was supplemented with some arrangement to provide credit for the purchase of agricultural inputs at least for the cooperative member community. Therefore, OMPFC has been improved the access farmers have for agricultural inputs; but there shall be some arrangements to improve access to credit for this farmers in order to capacitate their purchasing power regarding this inputs.