AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

CO-OPERATIVE FARMING

Co-operative farming implies pooling together of small plots of land and their joint management. When the cultivator becomes a member of the co-operative society, he can meet his credit requirements from financial assistance extended by it. Besides he is enabled to purchase and use modern machinery to effect efficient division of labour, to provide irrigation to undertake measures for the permanent development of land and finally to sell his produce advantageously, all of which would be beyond the capacity of an individual farmer to achieve. There are the following types of co-operative farming societies in the district.

Co-operative Collective Farming Society: These can be formed when it is possible to acquire large areas of land on lease either from the landlords or from the Government. If the society owns land on free-hold or lease-hold, if the land is cultivated jointly by all the members, if the produce is raised and sold collectively and if the proceeds are distributed among the members in proportion to their wages (which may include remuneration for personal labour rendered with or without their farm equipment), the society is said to be collective co-operative farming society. It is important to note that the members of a collective co-operative farming society necessarily belong to the class of landless labourers who do not enjoy any ownership or proprietary rights in land. Thus the membership of this type of society ensures its members of employment and means of subsistence.

Co-operative Joint Fanning Society: This type of society envisages pooling together of land belonging to small owners whose individual holdings do not allow economic and efficient cultivation of land. Members work on the pooled land in accordance with the directions of an elected committee and the manager appointed by it. They work jointly on the farm and receive wages for their labour. 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 produce is stock-piled as Well as disposed of collectively. The proceeds are applied for (a) meeting all expenses of cultivation including payment for the use of land, wages and cost of management; (b) defraying other charges such as interest on borrowings, depreciation of assets, previous losses, etc., and (c) making provision for reserves and other funds, if any. The residue is then shared by the members in proportion to the wages earned by each after utilising a part thereof towards the payment of bonus to the salaried staff.

Co-operative Tenant Farming Society: The co-operative tenant farming society provides its members with facilities such as finance, implements, seed, etc. The society owns land or gets it on lease, but it does not undertake farming. Land is divided into blocks and each block is given on rent to a cultivator who cultivates according to the plan laid down by the society.

There were in all 64 co-operative farming societies registered and working in the district as on 30th June 1969. Their category-wise distribution is as under:-

During the year 1968-69 efforts were made for the organisation of co-operative farming societies and registration proposals were entertained and submitted for registration to the registration authorities. These societies are as under:-

There were in all fourteen co-operative farming societies registered as on 30th June 1969. All these societies were organised by the members from Backward Class communities. The lands possessed by these societies were leased out to them by Revenue Department on eksali basis. A directive has, however, been issued to these societies to convert themselves into collective types of societies. The following statement gives details of the working of the co-operative joint farming societies for 1967-68 and 1968-69:-

The following statement shows the working of the co-operative collective farming societies in Sholapur district for the years 1967-68 and 1968-69:-

The details of other schemes and the financial assistance extended towards their execution are given below:-

During the year 1968-69 a sum of Rs. 48,000 was granted to seven co-operative collective farming societies in the form of loans and subsidies calculated at the rate of Rs. 4,000 for each well. A total of twelve wells was constructed as detailed below:-

Name of society                              Number of wells

(1) Anand co-operative collective farming society, Angar;                               2

(2) Babhulgaon co-operative collective farming society;                                  2 

(3) Wangi co-operative collective farming society;                                          2

(4) Laman-Khadaki co-operative collective farming society;                            2

(5) Mangalwedha co-operative coEective farming society;                               1

(6) Yeshwant co-operative collective farming  society, Mulegaon; and              1

(7) Vinchur co-operative collective farming  society, Vinchur.                          2

Similarly land development loans to the tune of Rs. 34,550 were granted to five co-operative farming societies.

There were in all 62 co-operative farming societies working in the district during the year 1972-73. The area cultivated by them during the same year was 2,98,300 hectares.

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