Small Family Farms Research Articles

The suitability of apricot for dried fruit production by the combined technology

The apricot is considered as one of the most delicious temperate fruit, a highly appreciated stone fruit and a valuable raw material for processing. The Republic of Serbia is one of the leading apricot producers in Southeast Europe, but the assortment is limited by a small number of cultivars harvested, mostly in the ripening season of ?Magyar kajszi?. In order to introduce the most suitable cultivars in the production, having high yield and high quality for consumption and various forms of processing, introduced and domestic cultivars have been intensively studied. In Serbia, apricots are mostly marketed fresh and processed for jams and spirits, but demand for high-quality dried fruits is increasing. To preserve the nutritional and sensory quality of fresh apricots, choosing the best drying technique is significant, and the most preferred technique is the reduction of moisture through convective drying. The aim of the paper was to compare the potential of the apricot cultivars ?Magyar kajszi?, ?Novosadska rodna?, ?NS-4? and ?NS-6? for dried fruit production by two-phase technology - combined osmotic and convective drying, as well as the profitability of apricot drying on small family farms. Cultivars ?NS-4? and ?Novosadska rodna? were found to be suitable for combined drying technology. The highest score in the sensory evaluation of the dried apricots was given to ?NS-4?, and then to ?Novosadska rodna?. The results indicate that the combined osmotic and convective drying of apricot rather than selling fresh fruits can be a profitable and important added value tool for small family farms.

Improved pump for transporting liquid feed mixtures through pipes on farms

The article substantiates the effectiveness of the use of liquid feed when feeding pigs, shows the advantages of feeding with liquid feed rather than dry feed. It is stated that, when feeding with liquid feed, pigs of some production groups reduce the need for drinking water, while the energy consumption for surviving feed and saliva secretion is reduced to a minimum. The transition to liquid feed mixtures of low moisture content, which include juicy feed or green pastes, is considered rational, but the equipment used for transporting and distributing such feed mixtures requires the improvement of working organs. However, the use of pipeline transport for transporting and distributing feed mixtures on farms and small family farms requires the use of special feed-transporting pumps with high reliability. But, the industry does not produce special pumps for feeding feed mixtures of high concentration with a moisture content of 68…. 75%, and the use of pumps from other industries does not give effective results. Therefore, the development of a pump used for feeding feed mixtures with low moisture content is very urgent. To solve this problem, the authors have proposed a new energy-saving pump design used for feeding liquid feed mixtures through pipes on farms and small farms. Devices and the principle of operation of the improved pump are given. The novelty of the design is confirmed by the patent of the Republic of Uzbekistan UZ 5149B.

Industrialization of potatoes and the socioeconomic development of family farming in Lima, Peru

Objectives: To analyze the factors that influence the industrialization of the potato and its role as an innovation for the socioeconomic development of small family farming in Lima, Peru. Methodology: This study is based on different information sources from public organizations in Peru to show that the industrialization of potatoes in Lima, Peru contributes to the socioeconomic development of family farming. On this basis, recommendations are made for a business model through cooperatives oriented mainly to family farming. Results: The determining factors that influence the industrialization of potatoes in Lima are, the use of certified seed and varieties suitable for processing, compliance with good agricultural practices in potato farms and the permissible limits of presence of agrochemicals in the tuber, the adaptation to the normative framework of DL 1062 Food Safety Law, allowing to enter a market that demands food with sanitary guarantee, which can be achieved through a cooperative organization of farmers. Conclusions: The industrialization of potatoes constitutes a business opportunity to increase the supply of processed potatoes through cooperatives, generating added value for small fresh potato producers in Lima.

PERCEPÇÕES DE RISCOS E ACEITABILIDADE DO USO AGRÍCOLA DA ESTRUVITA POR AGRICULTORES FAMILIARES

Este artigo tem por objetivo conhecer a percepção de risco e a aceitabilidade de pequenos agricultores familiares, com representatividade do município de Domingos Martins (Espírito Santo, Brasil), acerca do uso da estruvita derivada de urina como fertilizante agrícola. Para tal, foi realizado um estudo qualitativo, com coleta de dados a partir de um questionário misto semi-estruturado. Para a análise dos dados foi utilizada a técnica de Análise de Conteúdo proposta por Bardin (2011), Tobar e Yalour (2004), que permitiu a criação de categorias e subcategorias analíticas. Os resultados indicaram que poucos são os agricultores que acreditam que a utilização da urina humana na agricultura apresenta riscos à saúde. Além disso, a maioria afirmou não haver riscos, pois assemelham a urina humana a urina bovina. A aceitação de uso agrícola da estruvita, sobretudo derivada de urina de vaca, correspondeu a (36%) da preferência dos agricultores entrevistados.

Brazil’s Humanitarian Food Cooperation: From an Innovative Policy to the Politics of Traditional Aid

Brazil had donated food abroad on previous occasions, but an institutionalized humanitarian food aid policy was something innovative in its history. The original goal was to connect the produce of the small family farmers to an international humanitarian policy. However, in practice, the donations privileged the commodities of the large agribusiness farms. This article explains the political economy that diverted the policy from its original social purpose and made Brazil one of the five biggest donors of food to the World Food Program for a short period of time.

Hybrid Conceptual Model for Assessing Quality, Production and Satisfaction (SQual4Agri), in Agricultural Production Units, in Cape Verde

In Cape Verde, small family farming production suffers continuously from limited essential resources such as water and soil for a steady development. This situation is further aggravated by the lack of financial resources. We have developed a hybrid and multidimensional conceptual model for improvement of those small farming units by bringing together concepts of quality management, farmers’ satisfaction evaluation and production capabilities. The model we have built was the result of an inquiry based on Focus Group study with 15 farmers and it was carried out in 2019. We name the model as SQual4Agri and this is a step toward improvement in small family based agricultural organization, namely in productivity, responsibility sharing, communication and quality management.

Socio-Economic Determinants of Small Family Farms’ Resilience in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries

We investigated the resilience of small-scale family farms because of the contemporary importance of both the farms’ resilience and the role of these farms in five countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The authors addressed a research gap concerning cross-sectional research on the resilience of farms by combining determinants from various fields. Thus, the primary goal of this article was to identify microeconomic and political factors and links to markets that affect the resilience of small-scale family farms in Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Serbia. Using a database of over 3500 farms, the resilience of the farms was calculated, and then the impact of selected factors on that resilience was determined. The research showed that the production scale was the key determinant of the resilience of farms. To achieve higher benefits, increasing the production should be combined with strengthening the market integration of agricultural producers. The position of the producer in the food supply chain determined the income situation of the farm (economic stability). This shaped the quality of life of the family members (social stability). Identifying the effects of those dependencies may provide recommendations for the policy of supporting small-scale family farms in the analysed countries.

Interannual variability of productive aspects of bean culture in a municipality in the Semi-arid region of Alagoas, Brazil

Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most cultivated and consumed legumes worldwide. Brazil is one of the world's largest producers of this crop, which constitutes an important primary source of protein in the diet of its population. In the Northeast region, this legume is a key crop, especially for small family farmers. However, this region has high production susceptibility, which is mainly due to local climatic conditions and the low degree of technification employed. In this sense, the objective of this study was to analyze the productive variations of the bean crop in the municipality of Dois Riachos, Semi-arid of Alagoas, in the period 1998-2015. The production data were obtained from the IBGE Municipal Agricultural Production database, using the Automatic Recovery System (SIDRA), and subjected to correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed high interannual variability in the production of beans, reflected in the strong oscillation of the analyzed variables. Significant correlations were observed between all variables. The PCA gathered 93.8% of the original data variance in its first two axes, generating 4 clusters that grouped years with similar productive characteristics. The reductions observed for the variables may be linked mainly to abiotic factors, such as the occurrence of prolonged droughts, and the low degree of technification used for this culture.

Concentration and variability of soil trace elements in an agricultural area in a semiarid region of the Irecê Plateau, Bahia, Brazil

In a previous study, a high concentration of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Mn in soil profiles located in the semiarid region of Brazil were found in areas used for decades by small family farmers for the production of the crops and raising small animals. This question motivated the current study to evaluate the soil variability spatial dependence on trace elements to quantify and map its occurrence in this area, comparing their concentration with reference values set by the Brazilian environmental agencies. Soil samples were collected at 0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m depths and 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 m from the center and to both sides of five transects spaced from 1,000 m, forming a grid. The concentration of the trace elements As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ti, and Zn was obtained in SW-846 3050B USEPA soil extract by ICP-OES. Spatial dependence for all evaluated elements allowed the elaboration of dispersion maps in the area, except for Cd. Trace elements concentrations were below the investigation values (limit value of a trace element in the soil with risk potential to humans and the environment) of the Brazilian environmental legislation (Conama). Pb and As concentrations were above the prevention values (limit value of a trace element in the soil that can sustain its primary functions), but, still, they presented low dispersion in the area. Zn concentration was above the prevention value, and dispersion was higher, regardless sampling point, which requires a major concern. Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Ti concentrations were below the Conama reference values, and the dispersion was also low. Fortunately, except for Fe, it was observed that trace elements were concentrated around the central point of the "gossan", instead of distributed throughout in the agricultural area around it.

The Development of the Cooperative Movement and Civil Society in Almeria, Spain: Something from Nothing?

Cooperatives fulfilled a broad and central role not only in the economic development, but also in the creation of civil society, in a population decimated and fragmented by the politics and culture of the Franco dictatorship. The province of Almeria, Spain, is an example of smallholding rapid development due to the expansion of intensive greenhouse horticulture. It was the poorest Spanish province per capita in 1955, semi-arid, drought-ridden, and devoid of significant infrastructure. Its undereducated population held little promise for economic growth and a massive migration out of the province left it depopulated. Subsequent economic and social development of Almeria was closely tied to the establishment of both credit and agricultural cooperatives, which supported a new greenhouse agriculture for small plot family farmers organized around cooperatives. This paper focuses on how cooperatives were fundamental in constructing civil society for the benefit of poor rural people, even in the presence of significant negative social capital and undemocratic institutions during the Franco dictatorship. As the sector has modernized and matured, cooperatives have led the sustainable transformation of the business ecosystem. However, current shortcomings in the Almeria cooperative movement and civil society and challenges yet to be met are also raised.

Application of the Farm Simulation Model approach on economic loss estimation due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bangladesh dairy farms—strategies, options, and way forward

The objective of this paper is to quantify the economic loss of the dairy farms due to the pandemic novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection by analyzing the real-time data of two typical farms (BD-2 and BD-14 cow) in Bangladesh and propose a strategic plan of action to make policy decisions in order to support the dairy industry. The International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN) Farm Simulation Approach and Technology Impact Policy Impact Calculations (TIPICAL) model was used considering with Corona (WC) and without Corona (WOC). The Integrated Dairy Research Network (IDRN) database (January 2019 to July 2020) was used for simulation of IFCN two typical farms. The milk price is decreased by 17% and feed price is increased by 3.7% due to COVID-19 in March which was used as the base for farm simulation. This resulted in a decrease in milk yield by 7.9% and 8.9% for small household and family farms, respectively. The cost of milk production increased by 19.10% and 10.9% for household and family farms, respectively. This has an overall negative impact on farm income which accounted for national economic loss from dairy farms in Bangladesh to 4.43 million USD/day (36.84 crore BDT). This loss has been fluctuated from April onward and was higher in June (3.83 million USD/day) due to a combination of COVID-19, flood, and seasonality effect on lowering milk production. At the same time, the farmers’ response to the resilience capacity (liquidity, operating profit margin, and financial performance) to combat COVID-19-induced situation has been declined substantially. Based on this, we conclude that the government might take a strategy to support farmers by providing financial support for increasing the operating capital and decreasing the cost of milk production. The outcome of this study is expected to be beneficial for policymakers, farmers, and processors in Bangladesh and similar other countries elsewhere.

Occurrence of Leaf Spot Caused by Alternaria alternata on Eggplant (Solanum melongena) in Pakistan.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a popular vegetable that is grown in both tropical and subtropical regions all year long. The crop is cultivated on small family farms and is a good source of income for resource-limited farmers in Pakistan. In early May 2019, leaf spots on eggplant (cv. Bemisaal) were observed in an experimental field (31°26'14.0"N 73°04'23.4"E) at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Early symptoms were small, circular, brown, necrotic spots uniformly distributed on leaves. The spots gradually enlarged and coalesced into large, nearly circular or irregularly shaped spots that could be up to 3 cm in length. The center of the spots was light tan, surrounded by a dark brown ring, a chlorotic halo, and tended to split in the later developmental stages. Disease incidence was approximately 35% in the infected field. The causal agent of this disease was isolated consistently by plating surface sterilized (1% NaOCl) sections of symptomatic leaf tissue onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 6 days incubation at 25°C with a 12-h photoperiod, fungal colonies had round margins and the cottony mycelia were dark olivaceous with a mean diameter of 7.5 cm. For conidial production, the fungus was grown on potato carrot agar (PCA) and V8 agar media under a 16-h/8-h light/ dark photoperiod at 25°C. Conidiophores were septate, light to olive golden brown with a conidial scar, from which conidia were produced. Conidia were borne singly or in short chains and were obpyriform to obclavate, measured 29 ± 4.8 × 13.25 ± 2.78 μm (n=30) with zero to three longitudinal and two to six transversal septa. The morphological characters matched those of Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keisel (Simmons et al. 2007). DNA was extracted using the DNAzol reagent (Thermo Fisher Scientific MA, USA). For molecular identification, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region between ITS1 and ITS2, actin gene (β-Actin), translation elongation factor (TEF-1α) gene, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene of two representative isolates (JLUAF1 and JLUAF2) were amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), β-Actin 512 F/783 R, EF1-728F/-986R (Carbone et al. 1999), and gpd1/gpd2 (Berbee et al. 1999), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. MT228734.1 and MT228735.1 for ITS; MT260151.1 and MT260152.1 for β-Actin, MT260163.1 and MT260164.1, for TEF-1a, and MT260157.1 and MT260158.1 for GAPDH). BLASTn analysis of these sequences showed 100% identity with the sequences of A. alternata for ITS rDNA, β-Actin, TEF-1α, and GAPDH, respectively. Based on the morphological characters and DNA sequences, the leaf spot isolates of eggplant were identified as A. alternata. To confirm the pathogenicity on eggplant, six-week old healthy potted eggplants of cv. Bemisaal were sprayed at the true leaf stage with conidial suspensions of A. alternata (106 conidia/ml; obtained from 1-week-old cultures) amended with 0.1% (vol/vol) of Tween 20 until runoff (1.5 to 2 ml per plant) using an atomizer in the greenhouse. Three plants were inoculated with each of the two isolates (JLUAF1 and JLUAF2), whereas three control plants were sprayed with sterile distilled water amended with 0.1% Tween 20. The plants were incubated at 25 ± 2°C in a greenhouse, and the experiment was conducted twice. After 10 days of inoculation, each isolate induced leaf spots which were similar to typical spots observed in the field, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus was re-isolated from symptomatic tissues. Re-isolated fungal cultures were morphologically and molecularly identical to A. alternata, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. Previously, A. alternata has been reported to cause leaf spots on eggplant in India (Raina et al. 2018). To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata causing leaf spot on eggplant in Pakistan. The disease could represent a threat for eggplant crops due to its increasing cultivation. It is important to develop disease management strategies for Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot of Eggplant in Pakistan.

Do the importations of crop products affect the genetic diversity from landraces? A study case in garlic (Allium sativum L.)

The increase in importations of elite garlic (Allium sativum L.) in Brazil to meet the local demand in many cities may affect the cultivation of garlic landraces in small family farming systems by driving to the reduction of the harvested area and genetic diversity. The landraces are fundamental sources of genetic variability and adapted germplasm that could be potentially be implemented in breeding programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in the patterns of genetic diversity in landraces cultivated in family farming systems after three decades of competitiveness with imported garlic. Three landraces of garlic currently cultivated on family farms in the Picos municipality and immediate regions (7° 04′ 55.5″ S 41° 28′ 04.2″ W) and a landrace collected in the same region in the 1970s, before the increase of imports of garlic in Brazil, were selected for this study. Additionally, six garlic accessions from the Garlic Germplasm Bank from ESALQ/USP (Sao Paulo—Brazil) were selected to parallel the genetic diversity present in landraces with other varieties collected in Brazil, completing a set of ten accessions. A randomized block design was used to evaluate nine agro-morphological traits and rank the landraces according to the economically important agronomic traits. The potential changes in genetic diversity patterns and population structure in these populations were also evaluated at a molecular level using eight microsatellite markers. The agro-morphological evaluation indicates that there is genetic diversity in the garlic populations, and it is structured between Picos landraces and ESALQ/USP accessions. There is also evidence of genetic structure between the landraces and populations of the ESALQ/USP accessions (K = 3) based on a Bayesian clustering approach. The moderate genetic differentiation (FST = 0.09) accessed by the microsatellite markers may be associated with the existence of these two different gene pools: Picos landraces and ESALQ/USP accessions. The results indicate that the reduction in harvested areas in the past decades did not affect most morphological characteristics in the landraces, but there was a reduction in the quality of the bulbs. The garlic landraces cultivated nowadays in Picos municipality present a higher number of cloves per bulb, an undesirable characteristic that may affect its commercial value. However, we demonstrate that even with such reduction in harvested areas due to the lack of competitiveness of landraces, there was no reduction in the molecular genetic diversity in these landraces accessed by the microsatellite markers. These are promising results since there is genetic diversity to implement these landraces in genetic breeding programs.

Poe in Richmond: Conserving Poe's Papers

Poe in Richmond: Conserving Poe's Papers

Metals in supply water of riverine communities affected by the largest environmental disaster in Brazil: the dam collapse on Doce River

Considered the worst environmental disaster in brazilian history before another dam break at the same region, the collapse of Samarco dam directly affected the Doce river. Inhabitants living along the river who relied mainly on Doce river's water supply for agriculture and human consumption faced serious risk from the mining residue. This study aimed to investigate the disaster’s impact on small family farmers living in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo state by water elemental quantification and evaluate the potential pathways of contamination by survey. In July 2016, 48 water points - including well, river and public distributed water - of 3 cities (Belo Oriente, Governador Valadares and Colatina) were sampled for determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn elements. 98% of the interviewed related using the Doce river water before the tragedy for diversified purposes, while only 36% used it after the disaster, mainly for irrigation. Fe and Mn presented concentrations above the brazilian legislation for drinking water and irrigation in all locations, but not in all samples. All the other elements concentrations were within safe limits. Colatina, the farthest city from the dam, presented the highest values, followed by Governador Valadares and Belo Oriente.

Caracterización físico-productiva y tipologías de sistemas lecheros diversificados en la sierra de Ecuador

El objetivo de este trabajo fue caracterizar y establecer una tipología de sistemas ganaderos de Cotopaxi en el norte de la región Sierra en Ecuador. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante encuestas directas a 212 ganaderos y reflejan los principales aspectos técnicos, económicos y productivos de las explotaciones. La tipología fue establecida utilizando técnicas analíticas multivariantes. El análisis de Clusters reveló cuatro agrupamientos. Grupo I, definido como Granjas Pequeñas Familiares (GPF), Grupo II, como Granjas Medianas Familiares (GMF), Grupo III, como Granjas Medianas Familiares Tecnificadas (GMFT) y Grupo IV, como Granjas Muy Pequeñas Familiares (GMPF). Se aplicó un ANAVA. La evaluación indicó diferencias importantes en las explotaciones agrupadas a pesar de que se desarrollan en el mismo entorno agroclimático, operan en los mismos mercados y además, cuentan con información similar, el resultado es un variado universo de situaciones con variaciones relevantes entre sistemas medianos y pequeños por escala y en razón de sus superficies dedicadas a ganadería y a cultivos y sus resultados productivos y de eficiencia medida como ingresos por cada actividad y nivel de gastos.

STATE AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF LAND USE IN THE AGROSPHERE

The article highlights the essence of the concept of integration in general and land use in the agriсultural sphere in particular. A comprehensive analysis of the ecological and economic state of land use in agricultural production, use and protection of land resources is substantiated, it is emphasized that inthe process of land reform in Ukraine there have been significant transformations in land ownership andmanagement. Land is a productive resource acquired economic, credit and monetary value. Land plots, in addition to state property, have acquired communal and private property. Despite these transformations, the quality of land resources is deteriorating, which is quite clear from the dynamics of humus content(main resource potential) over the past 100 years, the presence of significant spots of degraded land inarable land, which negatively affects the environment, including and life. The essence and structure of theagrosphere in modern conditions are also highlighted, an important component is agrolandscapes, whichdynamically lose ecological stability as a result of irrational use of land resources, without following thecreation of an important phytosanitary measure for their protection. The article pays considerable attention to the formation of independent land use: family farms, farms on private-lease relations and others about their integration in relation to social production. First of all, this applies to small family farms that produce marketable products, but are not competitive due to the full mechanization of production processes, although they make a corresponding contribution to the food supply of the state.

For Young Consumers Farm-to-fork Is Not Organic: A Cluster Analysis of University Students

Young consumers value healthy foods and are willing to pay for them. As young consumers transition into higher paying jobs, their influence in the food system will compound. This study used a convenient sample of university students to understand how young consumers value attributes for fresh produce. With the proliferation of food labels, this study takes a step back to identify four consumer segments with regard to their values on explicit (i.e., organic and local) and implicit (i.e., small-family farms and sustainable) attributes: committed, farm-to-fork, unattached, and skeptic. The study also investigated the impact of personal motives on cluster membership. Although committed consumers placed high value on all attributes, farm-to-fork consumers valued local, sustainable, and small-family farm systems, but did not have positive valuation toward organic. Our findings suggest increasing access to local foods and farmers market patronage is likely to increase consumers’ valuing foods with local, organic, sustainable, and small-family farms attributes.

Heavy metals distribution in different parts of cultivated and native plants and their relationship with soil content

In semiarid region of Irece, state of Bahia, Brazil, there are superficial elongated strips in form of lateritic crust derived from hydrothermal weathering of sulfide known as “gossans” with heavy metals anomalies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the presence and concentration of metals As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ti, and Zn in different parts of cultivated and native plants in “gossan” area and relationship with soil content, in an area that has been used for decades by small family farmers for the crops production and raising small animals. The metals were analyzed by ICP-OES in plant and soil extracts obtained after acid digestion (USEPA SW-846 3050B). As, Cd, and Ni were not found in the evaluated plants. Pb, Fe and Ti concentrated in the roots of several plants, with emphasis on buffel grass (Pb and Fe) and corn and white pinion (both Fe and Ti). Zn and Mn were distributed in all parts of plants evaluated. Cu levels found were quite below of phytotoxic levels. Significant positive correlation between lead in root and soil and negative between lead in stem, leaf, and soil were observed, indicating a plant protection mechanism concentrating lead in the root without translocating it to the aerial part. Similar behavior has occurred in relation to Cu, concentrating it in the root and fruit. Fortunately for the farmers and consumers, the highest concentration of heavy metals was observed in the roots of both cultivated and native plants.

Стан розвитку обслуговуючої сільськогосподарської кооперації в Україні

The purpose of the article is to analyze the current state, development and role of agricultural service cooperatives in the functioning of households and family farms in the regions of Ukraine. Research methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the works of domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners, as well as the normative-legal acts of Ukraine that regulate relations in agricultural service cooperatives. The methods of analysis, synthesis, grouping, balance sheet were used to assess the development status of agricultural service cooperatives; when establishing production volumes - estimated, graphic; to substantiate the principles of effective development of the service cooperative - comparative analysis. Research results. The article presents the analysis of the current state of agricultural cooperatives in Ukraine, identifies and analyzes the principal reasons hampering the development of production and service cooperatives. It is established that agricultural service cooperative is a key mechanism of self-organization of rural producers, protection of small households and family farms against unscrupulous intermediary structures. Scientific novelty. The main reasons for the development of agricultural service cooperatives have been identified and analyzed. It is established that under the conditions of fierce market competition, enterprises are forced to evolve in order not to stay ahead of progress and entrepreneurship. Practical significance. The priority measures that will promote the development of cooperative movement in rural areas are proposed. Along with the strengthening of family farming and large-scale production, it is necessary to develop agricultural service cooperation as a foundation for structural restructuring of agriculture. Tabl.: 3. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 13.