Constraints to Performance of the Agricultural Cooperative Societies Services to Members in the Southern Agricultural Zone of Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the constraints to performance of the cooperative society's services to members in the Southern Agricultural Zone of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to draw 150 cooperative society members as study sample. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the membership and activities of the cooperative societies. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical tools. The descriptive statistics used were percentages, mean scores, ranking and Likert type scale. Results showed that 42.0% of the respondents were between the ages of 31– 40 years, 28.0% of the respondents were between the ages 41-50 years. The mean age of respondents was 40.5 years. Majority (68.0 %) of the respondents were married. About (87.3.0%) of the respondents had some form of formal education while only (12.7%) of the respondents had no formal education. The mean agricultural enterprise experience of respondents was 12.5 years. The mean annual income of farmers in the study area was N411, 300:00. The mean size of cooperative society membership in the study area was 25 members. The mean annual savings of members in the study area was SN383, 533:00. The core activities of the cooperative societies were savings mobilization and loan disbursement 69.3%, group farming activities 55.3% and farm inputs supply to members 44.7%. Members derived benefits of cooperative societies in saving their money 78.7%, easy access to credit 71.3% and in information sharing among members 67.3%. The major constraints faced were lack of government support/donor agencies with a mean score of 2.5 (very serious), poor supervision by government with a mean score of 2.3 (serious), poor transportation with a mean score of 2.3 (serious). It was therefore concluded that organize effort to mobilize rural farmers for cooperative spirit in the study area, and anywhere else, could assist to increase access to fund, farm inputs supply, dissemination of information and innovations, and reduce poverty. It was recommended that the cooperative members should be given the right incentives by government to intensify their participation in various cooperatives societies.