Involvement of Agro-Based Cooperatives in Agricultural Marketing and Development in Enugu State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Analysis

In view of isolated small scale farmers still dominating the Nigerian agricultural sector, the import of this study is on the need to employ agro-based cooperatives in mobilising rural farmers for effective marketing of their products since they lack the capacity to effectively market these products individually. This will invariably spur them towards increased production hence promoting agricultural development. Hence the study analysed the involvement of agro-based cooperatives in agricultural marketing and development in Nigeria. It specifically examined the reason behind the formation of these cooperatives, assessed their involvement in agro processing and marketing. It further identified the various constraints to their active participation in agro-marketing. The paper adopted a qualitative research design. Thus structured interview and focus group discussions were employed in collecting qualitative data from selected agricultural cooperatives in Aninri LGA of Enugu State, Nigeria. The qualitative data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that most agro-based cooperatives in Nigeria were yet to evolve from the level of solely seeking assistance to a purpose driven business oriented enterprise.It also found out that most of these cooperatives are multipurpose in nature with very few performing marketing functions for their members. It identified farmers’ apathy towards cooperative marketing, poor appreciation by rural farmers of the economic benefits of cooperative marketing, absence of a felt need to run a business oriented venture among rural farmers as factors militating against the active involvement of these cooperatives in agro processing and marketing. The paper suggests the need for the transformation of agricultural cooperatives in Nigeria into market competitive ventures characterised by active involvement in agro marketing, extensive education of rural farmers on the economic benefits of cooperative marketing, introduction of economic policies and measures that will create an enabling environment for these cooperatives to effectively engage in marketing activities.