Asia's rural cooperatives / edited by K. K. Taimni

Rural cooperatives have existed in Asia for well over nine decades. All Asian countries have some experience with cooperatives-in agriculture, fisheries, crafts, rural thrift and credit, distribution of consumer articles. Barring their phenomenal success in Japan, Korea and in a few sectors elsewhere, Asian rural cooperatives in general are yet to reach their full potential either as agents of change or as member-oriented enterprises.

Recent experience with Asia's rural cooperatives has shown that their performance is determined partly by the climate within which these function and partly by the conditions which affect their management and operations. The fact that rural cooperatives have survived and flourished in some parts of the region suggests the scope for useful lessons to be learnt and applied where they have not done as well.

This collection of 16 papers-all acknowledged experts in the field of cooperatives presents the major issues before Asia's rural cooperatives. assesses their experiences, and critically examines the relevance of such experiences in the unfolding scenario of increased competition and diluted role of the government in the process of their development. The thrust of this collection of papers is on (1) major obstacles to the development of cooperatives; (ii) steps that could help develop self-reliant. autonomous cooperatives; and (iii) role of cooperatives under structural adjustment programmes.

In their pursuit to hasten the process of agricultural development, govern ments in different countries have been experimenting with alternative institu tional devices like cooperatives: pre-cooperatives; farmers organisations; self help groups and similar other grass-root institutions. Because of highly localised character of rural communities, it would be naive to think of a uniform pattern of rural cooperatives for the entire continent; but it is still possible to describe the conditions that are conducive to growth and development of cooperatives and cooperative-like organisations. The contributors drawing from their vast experience describe and list the elements of these conditions with cogent analysis and remarkable rigour.