Challenges and Development Issues Before the Agricultural Cooperatives and Farmers' Organisations in Asia

Abstract

The Cooperative Movement, which had its genesis in adversity, is based on some of the noblest values man could ever apply to business organisations. It seeks to apply morality to business, a business in which persons voluntarily join together on the basis of equality. It does not differentiate one person from another on the basis of their share holding in the cooperative venture. The democratic control, the voluntary and open membership, the desire to help each other and emphasis on all round development of the members are some of the basic Principles of Cooperation which reflect higher values of mankind. Agricultural cooperative institutions, farmers' organisations and other farming interest groups which have been operating in various countries have begun to realise that due to pressures of open market systems and other regulations being introduced by various world bodies and international agreements they have to improve their services and provide more and more of support to basic farmers. These institutions have, therefore, now to be more involved in delivering quality products which conform to the international demands. In the wake of new economic developments governments are shedding’ a lot of their responsibilities. Agricultural cooperatives and farmers' organisations will, naturally, have to take these services over. Their responsibilities are expanding. They have now to manage their affairs in such a way that they are able to survive in the market.