AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

CO-OPERATIVE FARMING

Factors like uneconomic size of holding, fragmentation and subdivision of land following the rules of heredity, inequitable distribution of arable land, time-honoured methods of cultivation and above all the increasing pressure of population on land were mainly responsible for blocking the agricultural progress in the past. In order to remove these stumbling blocks various measures including land legislation were adopted since Independence. In co-operative farming was found an effective measure for implementing progressive agricultural economy. It helps to remove the above-mentioned impediments that stand in the way of planned agricultural economy. Co-operative farming implies pooling together of small plots of land and their joint management. This system enables the individual member of the co-operative farming society to secure credit requirements, to make use of improved practices and machinery, to effect efficient division of labour and also to undertake measures for the permanent development of land. The member-cultivator can also sell his agricultural produce advantageously. All these would be beyond the capacity of individual farmer to achieve. In the district two types of co-operative farming societies are in existence, joint co-operative farming societies and collective farming societies.

Joint Co-operative Farming Societies: This type of farming society envisages pooling together of land owned by small cultivators whose individual holdings are uneconomic. The members work on the pooled land in accordance with the direction of an elected committee and the manager appointed by it. The ownership of each member in his holding is recognised by payment of a dividend or rent in proportion to the value of land. The agricultural produce is disposed of collectively. There were 18 joint co-operative farming societies in the district in 1968-69. The following statement gives information regarding the working of these societies in that year:—

PARTICULARS

Collective Co-operative Farming Societies : These societies are generally formed when it is possible to acquire large areas of arable land either from the Government or from big landlords. Under this system the society owns land on free-hold or lease-hold. The members cultivate the land collectively and raise the agricultural produce collectively and get the sale-proceeds in proportion to their wages. The members of these societies constitute the class of landless labourers and do not enjoy any ownership or proprietary rights in land. The working of these societies in the district in 1968-69 is given in the following statement:—

PARTICULARS

Besides the co-operative farming societies, there were 10 co-operative lift irrigation societies in the district in 1968-69, the working of which is given in the following statement:—

PARTICULARS

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