BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE

CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING

Co-operative Marketing.— The spread of the co-operative move-ment has a considerable impact upon the economic status of the agriculturists. The introduction of co-operative marketing which formed an integral part of the strategy of co-operative develop-ment effort brought about favourable conditions for the agricultu-ral sellers. Before the introduction of co-operative marketing, the cotton growers used to sell their produce through brokers either at the village level or at tahsil places. Most of the trading concerns supplying cotton to the textile mills at Bombay, Nagpur, Ahmed-abad, etc., preferred to purchase the raw cotton through their adatyas in the district. The adatyas advanced small amounts to the agriculturist prior to the harvest time and the farmers were made to sell their produce to the adatyas at a very low price deter-mined by the merchants arbitrarily. A high rate of interest was charged on the advances. The farmers were not organised and had little control on the disposal of their produce. This state of affairs was sought to be remedied by eminent social workers also known as co-operators.

During the post-planning period the co-operative marketing movement gathered momentum under the leadership of a few eminent co-operators. At present the movement has the benefit of a good cadre of co-operators. A number of co-operative orga-nisations have been established at the regulated markets. These organisations sell agricultural produce on behalf of the agricul-turists at the market yards. They are licensed by the respective market authorities for doing adat business. They are instru-mental in securing reasonable prices to the agriculturist. In addition some of the multipurpose societies distribute improved seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, agricultural implements, cement and iron goods.

The list of the co-operative organisations and their branches holding licences to do adat business in the various regulated markets is given below:—

The following table gives the turnover of trade handled by co-operative marketing societies in the respective regulated markets in 1967-68: —

TABLE No. 20

TURNOVER OF TRADE BY CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING SOCIETIES,
IN 1967-68.

The Malkapur Tahsil Growers Agricultural Co-operative Society is a big organisation doing adat business, jowar procurement and distribution of agricultural appliances. It procured 7,352 quintals of jowar on behalf of Government in 1967-68, and distributed goods worth Rs. 7,46,423 during the same year. The Purchase and Sale Society at Nandura, established in 1964, is another orga-nisation doing similar useful work. The Mehkar Tahsil Co-opera-tive Purchase and Sale Samiti, established in 1919, is an important organisation doing adat business, jowar procurement and sale of agricultural appliances. It is also doing a very useful work under the cotton pool system under which it handled 1,577 quintals of cotton in 1966-67. It procured 15,630 quintals of jowar, valued at Rs. 8,36,324 during the same year.

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