1. The document discusses the role of agriculture extension in organizing rural cooperatives in Pakistan and India. It outlines different types of cooperatives such as consumer, producer, marketing, credit, farming, and supply cooperatives. 2. Cooperatives were introduced in South Asia by the British but were not strongly emphasized after independence. During the 1960s, some cooperatives were organized to supply fertilizers, seeds, and channel funds to increase food production. 3. The document analyzes experiences of cooperatives in Asian countries and their impact on farming communities. It notes both successes and failures in achieving objectives like self-help, welfare, and economies of scale.

1. "Role of Agriculture Extensionin organizingrural cooperativesin Pakistan'
Agriculture ExtensionRole in cooperative in Indian Punjaband Pakistan Punjab
Agriculture ExtensionEducationisalsoone of the factorsof success,whichisabsenthere as the
illiteracyisover80%in thissub-continent.The earlypioneersof the Rockdale Movementconsidered
educationasan integral partof the movement,andthoughtitanessential instrumentforachievingthe
Co-operativecommonwealth;andnobodyof Owenite Co-operatorswouldhave dreamedof omitting
Educationfromthe listof theiressentialactivities.AccordingtoOwne’sDoctrinescharacteristhe
outcome of environment,andeducationorwantof it forma veryimportantpartof it.Owenites
believed,thatthe childrenmustbe helpedtobreakawayfromthe habitsof the oldworldandto
acquire the masteryof newsocial forceswhichsurroundthemandto show a comradelyattitude
towardstheirfellowmen.
Althoughagricultural changesinboththe IndianandPakistanPunjabshave beenbroughtaboutasa
resultof the effortsof the respective departmentsof Agriculture andExtensionandAgricultural
universities,developmentof agriculture.
The governmentsinthe IndianandPakistanPunjabslaunchedanumberof programmestoimprove
researchand developmentandagricultural extensionservices.Special programmesforfarmerswere
introducedthroughRadioandTV inboththe Punjabsandas a matterof routine,the electronicmedia
nowrenderadvice aboutimprovedfarmpracticesandotherrelevantfarminginformation.The radio
was assignedarole of reportingfarmpricesinall the major marketsinboththe regions.Asa part of
National CommunityDevelopmentProgramme all village Panchayatsinthe IndianPunjabwere provided
withradiosetsand 99 percentof Panchayatsinthe villageswereintheirregularuse.
Introduction
Agriculture Cooperativesas Agentsof Change
Cooperativesinthe Indo-Pakistansub-continentwere introducedbythe Britishcolonial regimeatthe
turn of 19th Century.The succeedingindependentgovernmentsinIndiaandPakistaningeneral
followedthe patternsof sponsorshipand organization setbythe colonial rulersinundividedIndia.
Rural cooperativeswere notstronglyemphasizedasavehicle foragrarianchange inthe Indianand
PakistanPunjabsinthe yearsimmediatelyfollowingindependence of IndiaandPakistan,butduringthe
1960s whenagricultural developmentwasgivengreateremphasis,acertainnumberof cooperatives
were organizedtosupplyfertilizersandimprovedseed.InPakistanPunjab,cooperativesserved
primarilyaschannelsof governmentfundstofunnel credit,andimprovedfarminputstoincrease food
productionandagricultural productivity.Thisrole assignedtocooperativesmade themanextensionof
government’swelfare andexpenditure policyratherthanmakingthemworthwhileself-sustaining
institutionsintheirownright.

2. inthe IndianPunjabisespeciallythe outcomeof combinedeffortsof andthe inseparable trinityof
education,researchandextension.In1957, the Punjabagricultural collegewasupgradedtothe status
of a universityandwasgivenresponsibilityof agricultural extensioninthe state.
The universityestablishedalarge numberof experimental stationsindifferentpartsof the state,
developedaclose liaisonwiththe state departmentof agricultureandtooka leadinestablishingfarm
advisoryservice forprovidingsubjectmattersupporttothe staff of the state departmentandassisted
theminconductingtrainingprogrammesforextensionpersonnel andthe farmers.Thuswhenhigh
yieldingvarietiesof wheatandrice became available inthe mid1960s the pre-conditionsfortheirquick
adoptionhadalreadybeenestablishedinthe IndianPunjab
Rural Cooperative societiesinPakistan
1. Consumer’s cooperrative society:
“These are formedto protectthe interestof general consumersbymakingconsumer goods available at
a reasonable price. They bye goods directly from producers or manufacturers and eliminat the middle
man in the process f distribution.”
2. Producer’s cooperative Society:
“ These societiesare formedtoprotectthe interestof small producersbymakingavailableitemsof their
need for production like raw materials, tools,equipments and machinery etc.”
3. Cooperative Marketing Society:
“ These societies are formed by small producers and manufacturers who find it difficult to sell their
productsindividually.The Societycollectsthe products from individuals and takes the responsibility of
selling them in market.”
4. Cooperative Credit Society:
“ These Societiesare formedtoprovide financial supporttothe members. The society accepts deposits
from the members and grants them loans at reasonable rates of interest in times of need.”
5. Cooperative Farming Society:
“ These societies are formed by the small farmers to work jointly “
6.Agricultural cooperative: “An agricultural cooperative, also known as afarmers' co-op, is
a cooperative where farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity.”
7. Supply cooperatives:
“Supply cooperatives aggregate purchases,storage,anddistributionof farm inputs for their members.
By taking advantage of volume discounts and utilizing other economies of scale, supply cooperatives
bring down the cost of the inputs that the members purchase from the cooperative compared with
directpurchasesfromcommercial suppliers. Supplycooperativesprovide inputsrequiredforagricultural

3. productionincludingseeds,fertilizers, chemicals, fuel, and farm machinery. Some supply cooperatives
operate machinery pools that provide mechanical field services (e.g., plowing, harvesting) to their
members.”
8. Credit unions :
”Creditunionsare cooperative financial institutions that are owned and controlled by their members.
Credit unions provide the same financial services as banks but are considered not-for-profit
organizations and adhere to cooperative principles.”
9. Volunteer cooperative:
“A volunteercooperative isacooperative thatisrunby andfor a network of volunteers,forthe benefit
of a defined membership or the general public, to achieve some goal. Depending on the structure, it
may be a collective ormutual organization,whichisoperated accordingtothe principles of cooperative
governance. The most basic form of volunteer-run cooperative is a voluntary association. A lodge or
social club may be organized on this basis.
Impact ofCooperativesSocietiesonFarming Community
Traditionally,cooperativeshave beenexpectedtoserve abroadset of socio-political andeconomic
objectivesrangingfromself-helpandgrass-rootparticipationtowelfareanddistribution,including
economiesof scale andsocial control overresource allocationandmobilization.However,thesevarious
objectivesare notmutuallyconsistent.Because there isasubstantial trade-offinthe realizationof many
of these,itisnecessarytoweightheirrelative importance inthe needsandprioritiesof the individual
countryat anygivenpointof time if performance of cooperativesistobe evaluatedinanappropriate
context.Anattempttofulfill arange of these conflictingobjectivessimultaneouslyhasledtobroad
baseddisenchantmentwiththe cooperative movement.
Some of the successful storiesandexperiencesof cooperativessocietiesinAsiancountrieswith
examplesfromothercountries of the worldare analyzedinthisarticle forfuture implications.Indiahas
basicallyanagrarianeconomywith72% of itstotal populationresidinginrural areas.The rural people
needlotof servicesindailylife whichare metbyvillage cooperative societies.The seedsof co-operation
inIndiawere sownin1904 whenthe 1st co-operative societiesactwaspassed.2nd since than,the co-
operative movementhasmade significantprogress.Cooperativehave extendedacrossthe entire
countryand there are currentlyanestimated230 millionmembersnationwide.The co-operative credit
systemof Indiahas the largestnetworkinthe worldandcooperativeshave advancedmore creditinthe
Indianagricultural sectorthancommercial banks.The villageco-operativesocietiesprovidestrategic
inputsforthe agricultural sector,consumersocieties.Nirod&Kumar(2006).

4. The general experience withthe workingof cooperativesinmanycountriesof the worldhasbeena
matterof much disappointmenttomembersof societies,governmentandotherpromotionalagencies.
Generalizationisverydifficultovermanycountries,eachwithitsownhistoryandpeculiarsocio-
economicconditions.Nevertheless,evidence derivedfromnumerouscase studiesrevealsacommon
patternof poorperformance asassessedbyreferencetothe cooperativesownproclaimedgoals.
It may be notedthat a greatmajorityof cooperativesinAsia,Africa,LatinAmericaandelsewhere inthe
worldhave beeninitiatedgenerallybygovernments,adaptedeitheron the Rochdaleanmodel or
Raiffeisenprinciplesandprincipallyconcernedwiththe provisionof consumersgoodsandservices,
marketingfarmproduce andallocatingcredit.Veryoftenthispolicyhasbeendisappointingwithalarger
proportionof cooperativesbecominginactive.
There isofteninadequate appreciationof the external factorswhichhave aprofoundimpactonthe
extenttowhichinstitutions –whetherinthe private,publicorthe cooperative sector –can function
effectively,particularlyinreachingthe peasants.These include governmentpolicieswithregardto
agricultural pricing,inputdistribution,technology,infrastructure developmentandregulatoryfunctions.
The lack of pre-requisitesinthesevariousareasiscombinedwithinadequate understandingof the way
emphasisondecentralizationandgrass-rootparticipationcandefeatthe equityobjective byvesting
powerinthe hands of rural political elite.The greaterthe inequalities,the greaterare the conflicts.In
such situationsitwould appearthata more centralized,paternalisticapproachmaybe more effective
than traditional cooperatives,providedthatitismore sharplyfocusedonidentifyingthe internal and
the external constraintsof the type listedearlier.Infollowingthisapproach,the emphasiswouldhave
to be on small groups,relativelysimpleformsof cooperativeactivitiesandparticularlyonsubstantial
trainingof the peasantsto actuallycarry outplanningandimplementationof programmes,withthe
necessaryexternal supporttomake these programmes effective.
Cooperativesundertake manyactivities,butof all,creditisone whichhascome to be regardedas an
essential function.Inmostof the developingcountries,creditisusuallynecessaryforfarmers,especially
lowincome farmers,toattemptinnovationsthatcan leadtoincreasedproductivity.Manystudiesreport
that insufficientcreditisgenerallyavailable tofarmerswhenchanneledthroughthe cooperatives.On
the otherhand,the official incharge of creditprogrammesclaimedthatloanrepaymentswere
inadequate tojustifycreditprovision.The entireissueof agricultural creditasa meansof agricultural
productionisneverthelessathornyproblem, obviouslyfarfromsolution,whenjudgedfromthe findings
of manystudies.Edmons,2002.
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