Reasons for Success of Co-Operative Marketing in Maharashtra: A Case Study of F&V Society

Abstract

The study, carried out in the state of Maharashtra of India during 2003-04, is based on a case of cooperative dealing with the marketing of mainly fruit with its spectrum spread over various other marketing activities. The study has evaluated the performance of Nahvi Co-operative Fruit Sale Society (NCFSS) which is located about 20 km from Yaval taluka of the Jalgaon district in Maharashtra. Though it mainly deals with the marketing of banana, its functional dimensions also encompass input marketing and various other welfare activities. The evaluation of NCFSS has revealed several reasons for its efficient functioning. The major reasons that weighed in favour of the functioning of the society were timely delivery of inputs to the farmer members, reasonable rates of fertilizer, remunerative prices for the farmers’ produce, fair weighing practices followed by the society, provision of finances to the members for meeting expenses towards electricity bill, labour payment, purchase of land, illness, marriage, etc. In addition to these reasons, the existence of interest-cum-entrepreneurial groups in extending dedicated and efficient leadership was the main factor that weighed in favour of efficient functioning of the society.