Farmer’s Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of Cooperatives In Disseminating Agricultural Technologies In Ethiopia: A Case Of Adea District

ABSTRACT

For a long period of time within different political systems cooperative societies have

served as farmer organizations to give credit and to disseminate agricultural inputs in order

to attain increased production and productivity of smallholders. However, dissemination of

agricultural technologies were forcibly transferred using top-down approaches with

minimum participation and giving less emphasis to the priority needs of the farmers. This

study examines farmer perceptions on the effectiveness of cooperatives in disseminating

agricultural technologies with emphasis on major factors that limit technology

dissemination in selected primary cooperatives in Adea district in Ethiopia. The study is

based on literature review, interviews and collecting data using semi-structured

questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey method was employed for the study. From the

sample frame, six cooperatives were selected purposively by setting specific criteria. From

each cooperative society 15 members and 5 non members were selected randomly and

purposively, respectively. In the study descriptive statistics like frequencies, mean,

percentage, chi-square test, correlation and t-test were employed to analyze the data using

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The main finding of this study show that

cooperative have a serious shortage of working capital, work seasonally and focuses mainly

on input distribution during planting time and purchasing agricultural products from

farmers living in respective cooperative areas during harvesting time. This limitation is due

to poor planning and management, lack of credit, irregular extension service, loose linkage

with stakeholders, and lack of market information. Furthermore, survey results revealed that

empowerment of farmers through farmer organizations and farmer’s priority needs were

given less attention. Therefore, from the findings of the study it is recommended and insists

that policy makers and concerned institutions should design a system that can enable

cooperative to work all year round, improve market information, credit system, extension

service based on regular program, and priority needs of the farmers.