National Development Planning And Agricultural Cooperatives: National Development Plans And Agricultural Cooperatives

2. National Development Plans & Agricultural Cooperatives:

2.1 Cooperatives became a part of the National Development Plans from 1950. The First Plan (1951-56) recommended the training of personnel involved in cooperative development and setting up of cooperative marketing societies.
2.2 The Second Plan proposed to expand the activities under the cooperatives with specific emphasis on storage and warehousing services. In 1958, the National Development Council prepared a National Policy on Cooperatives.
2.3 The Third Plan proposed to involve the cooperatives in processing of agricultural commodities such as sugarcane, cotton, milk, etc. and take up other agro-based activities such as spinning and weaving.
2.4 The Fourth Plan emphasised

Nevertheless 100% villages and 75% of the rural population in India are serviced by the cooperatives today. It is estimated that there are 5.45 lakh cooperatives functioning with 2.36 crore members and a working capital of Rs. 34,000 crores, who have made significant contribution to the development of institutional infrastructure, formation of private capital, distribution of agricultural inputs, and processing and marketing of the produce, which are the key components of value chain development.

3. Types of Agricultural Cooperatives Societies:

3.1 Different types of cooperative societies operating in India with different activities can be grouped into the following four categories:

• Production Cooperatives which deal with agricultural and industrial production, such as Farming Cooperatives, Industrial Cooperatives and Processing Cooperatives.

• Marketing Cooperatives which are engaged in marketing of agricultural produce, such as Agricultural Marketing Societies and Consumer Cooperatives.

• Service Cooperatives which provide services necessary for their members, such as Cooperative Credit Societies and Cooperative Banks and also Housing