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Through the passing years, the CPD has continuously invested a big
amount of resources for cooperative development through various
programs and projects. Most of such programs and projects, however,
are concentrated on cooperatives in agricultural sector, the
sector of majority groups of Thai people. Among them, the examples
of important cooperative development schemes are: |
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Credit Linkage Project for Production and Rice Marketing Services of
Cooperatives In this project, the CPD will allocate involving fund
for cooperatives in collecting members' paddy for processing and
distributing at higher price levels. Since its first implementing in
crop year 1980/81, the participated farmer members generally gained
their paddy prices 200-300 baht per ton higher than the market price
level.
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An Establishment of Tumbon Agricultural Product Central Market of
Cooperatives The CPD started to provide financial supports in grant
term for cooperatives in establishment of Agricultural Product
Central Market since 1993. The assistant package is generally
comprised with: (1) drying spaces, 2 rai, (2) paddy warehouse, 500
tons capacity, (3) moisture reduction machine, 30 tons a day
capacity, and (4) weighing scale, 40 tons capacity, with its plant.
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. Integrated Farming Promotion Project in Small Farm Pond Project
Areas Following His Majesty the King's initiation, the CPD has paid
strong emphasis to promote integrated farming in Small Farm Pond
Project areas where small farm pond, 1,250 m3. capacity, are already
developed, also by CPD's efforts some years earlier.
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Hygienic Vegetable Production Promotion Project With increasing
interests of health care, clean environment and sustainable
development, green production is recently introduced to the
cooperative members. Through this project, the CPD will provide loan
with free interests to participate cooperatives for further landing
to their members in construction of green houses and related
production activities.
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. Cooperative Women Development Recognizing an important role of
women in household and societies, the CPD has launched Cooperative
Women Development Project since 1985 to encourage cooperative women
organized themselves as group(s) or cooperative(s) for improving
their supportive occupations, attitude and general knowledge for
proper ways of life style.
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Saving Promotion Program among Cooperative Members In order to
ensure a self - reliant operation of cooperatives, the CPD has
continuously encouraged each cooperative to accumulate its own
capital through various means such as share capital building and
deposit campaign for businessexpansion.
 Agricultural Cooperative
Agricultural cooperatives are established to enable farmer members to
engaging in business together, thus helping one another in times of
crisis as well as gaining for themselves a better livelihood and
quality of life.
Background
A small credit cooperative named Wat Chan Agricultural Cooperative
Unlimited Liability established at Muang district, Phitsanulok
province on 26 February 1916 was the first agricultural cooperative in
the country. From then on, the number of small credit cooperatives had
steadily increased until the promulgation of the Cooperative Act, B.E.
2511. Several of these small cooperatives then grouped together,
forming agricultural cooperatives at the district level. Larger and
stronger cooperatives are, then, expected to provide a wider scope of
services to members.
Objective
Agricultural cooperatives are generally formed to meet the members'
needs as follows:
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To provide loans to members for productive and providential purposes
at affordable interest rates;
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To encourage members' thrift through savings and deposits;
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To provide agricultural products and daily necessities for sale to
members at reasonable prices;
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To promote appropriate farm practices and disseminate technical know-how
aimed to help members reduce production costs and obtain higher
yields. With government assistance, members are introduced to proper
cropping techniques as well as use of fertilizers and insecticides.
Another service is in the form of farm equipment (e.g., tractors,
water pumps, etc.) made available to members at reasonable charge;
and
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To enable members to market products together, thereby obtaining
higher prices for their produce and maintaining fairness in terms of
weights and measures.
Cooperative Business
At present, agricultural cooperatives engage in various types of
business in responding to their members' needs. Generally, the five
main areas are loans, savings and deposits, sale of consumer and farm
supplies, goods, joint marketing, and agricultural extension and
services.
Loans to Members
Through the assistance of Government, the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives, various foundations, and other lending
agencies, agricultural cooperative members are now in a better
position in accessing loans at low interest rates with grace periods
appropriate to their business. Thus loans are generally classified to
three categories -- short-term, medium-term and long-term loans. With
sufficient loans, members can gain the utmost benefit, enabling them
to purchase seedlings, fertilizers, insecticides, farm machineries, by
and/or improve land, etc.
Savings and Deposits
Agricultural cooperatives promote thrift because accumulation of
savings can help in improving member living standard. Savings can also
be used to carry out cooperative businesses that yield profit for both
cooperatives and their members. Currently members can have savings and
deposits at their cooperatives.
Sale of Consumer Goods and Farm Supplies
Along with credit business, agricultural cooperatives also procure
quality products for sale to their members and the general people. The
buyers are assured of fair prices and measure when they order together
through the cooperatives in a large quantity.
Joint Marketing
Through joint sale of products, members can obtain not only good
prices but also fairness in weights and measures. With government
assistance some cooperatives have been developed market centers for
members' product distribution not only locally but also abroad. A
successful example is that of insecticide-free golden bananas now
being exported to the Toto Consumer Cooperatives in Japan.
Agricultural Extension and Services
Cooperatives provide agricultural extension and services to members at
reasonable fees. Examples are in the areas of plowing, land
improvement, irrigation, demonstration farms, etc. Costs are made
affordable using the expense-sharing principle. |
