Author: Belissa Gobosho Agga
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no. HS-81-25
Year: 1981
Academic Program: Human Settlement (HS)
Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 1987
Examination Committee: Harvey Demaine (Chairperson); Karl E. Weber, Joao P. C. Guimaraes (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: Cooperatives in developing countries especially in those which follow the socialist development pattern is one of the strategies widely employed for rural development by the governments of these nations . The aim of this study is, therefore, to assess the role of one type of socialist cooperatives (peasant service cooperatives) in rural development of Bahr-Dar district in Ethiopia. Although peasant service cooperatives in this district are engaged in many activities, this study focusses only on the major ones which include marketing of agricultural produce, distribution of consumer goods in rural areas, agricultural input distribution, construction of socio-economic infrastructure and the creation of non-farm employment. Data used for the assessment of these activities were gathered from the heads of peasant service cooperatives, government officers, published and unpublished government reports and by personal observation. The findings of the study show that the involvement of peasant service cooperatives in marketing of agricultural produce has not brought the anticipated increase in prices of agricultural produce. Rather, their involvement assists the government to keep the produce prices as low as possible and may have contributed to a considerable reduction of agricultural production . However, the findings indicate that peasant service cooperatives have played an important role in distribution of consumer goods in rural areas of Bahr-Dar. Their participati on in this activity has brought a significant reduction of both travel distances and prices of consumer goods. Peasant service cooperatives have also improved the distribution of agricultural inputs by enabling the majority of the farmers to have access to those inputs and by reducing the workload of the Ministry of agriculture which allows the Ministry t o concentrate more on trials and demonstrations. The findings also indicate that the construction of socio- economic infrastructure and the creation of non-farm employment by peas
Scholarship Donor(s): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science
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