Cooperatives in Agriculture and its Implications in Less Developed Countries

Cooperatives have a universal appeal as an instrument of economic, social and cultural development, yet their record has been less than exemplary. This paper highlights dilemmas faced in cooperative development in the less developed countries (LDCs). By examining the evidence with regard to agricultural credit cooperatives, it argues that in the absence of various internal and external pre-requisites, alternative forms of institutional arrangements may be as, or more effective than credit cooperatives. In any case a healthy movement which reaches the masses calls for institutional competition Agrawal, 1994