BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING

A proper system of marketing of agricultural produce in the best interests of the cultivator envisages a simultaneous growth of regulated markets and marketing co-operatives. The long chain of middlemen adversely affects the hard earnings of the producer. To enable him to earn his due share in the produce. regulated markets and marketing co-operatives are thought to be the best remedies.

Marketing soeiet.ies purchase and sell various commodities. Co-operative purchase and sale societies sell the produce of members and non-members on commission basis. Co-operative marketing of the agricultural produce was recently introduced in Amravati district. Prior to that the Taluka Agricultural Associations were dealing in agricultural implements, cement, iron and steel and fertilisers. They also dealt in foodgrains during the World War II. In villages multi-purpose co-operative societies were organised chiefly to deal in controlled foodgrains. The taluka and village societies were not interconnected except for the fact that the Amravati Taiuka Agricultural Association acted as a wholesaler in the district for cloth brought from Bombay and Ahmedabad. With decontrol of foodgrains the village co-operatives have been liquidated. After the reorganisation of States in 1956 the Taluka Agricultural Associations have adopted the bye-laws of purchase and sale unions and are undertaking marketing activities. To ensure the withholding capacity of the agriculturist the necessity for properly linking co-operative marketing with finance was keenly felt. Primary credit societies were thus established in the district to make finance available to the agriculturists. These societies have now been converted into seva societies and some of them have started dealing in non-credit activities also.

Besides improving the withholding capacity of the agriculturist, it is also necessary to increase his bargaining capacity. Government assistance is, therefore, granted to the co-operative societies for construction of godowns. Twenty societies in the district have been granted loans and subsidies for constructing medium and small-sized godowns. They have constructed 13 godowns so far. The members of the co-operative societies take advantage of the Central Warehouse at Amravati, State Warehouse at Dhamangaon and godowns constructed by various co-operative societies.

There are in all seven purchase and sale societies working in the district. They-

(i) distribute seeds, fertilisers, iron and steel, cement, food-grains and sugar,

(ii) grant advances to agriculturists,

(iii) manage grain and cotton markets,

(iv) work as commission agents and conduct cotton and groundnut pools.

(v) sell or lend agricultural implements, oil engines, pumps, etc.. and

(vi) arrange to sell the agricultural produce and thus effect recoveries of loans.

The following table gives the value (in Rs.) of business done by the co-operative societies during 1960-61: -

TABLE No. 21

BUSINESS DONE BY CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES (1960-61)

Cotton and groundnut form the main cash crops of the district. The following statement shows the nature of transactions carried out by the purchase and sale societies during 1960-61:-

The Co-operative Ginning and Pressing Society at Amravati started functioning in 1958-59. It processed 1,931 cotton bales and 6,293 bajas in 1960-61. The Pathrot and Karajgaon Vividh Karyakari Society ginned 1,871 bales and 1,668 bojas in 1960-61. The Daryapur and Anjangaon Ginning and Pressing Societies are expected to function soon.

The annual turnover of the co-operative purchase and sale societies as on 30th June 1961 was as follows: -

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