An overview of agricultural producers’ co-operatives (APCs) in Arssi, 1978-1991

Abstract

Not much has been written on some aspects of the Derg’s policy. Official sources, some reports and very limited scholarly works have been produced so far. Thus, this paper investigates what the Derg called the model Agricultural Producers’ Co-operatives (APCs), and non-model APCs in Arssi region, southeastern Ethiopia, to shed some light on some historical aspects of APCs in Ethiopia. Model APCs had been founded purposefully and with enthusiasm by the military regime since small scale peasants were expected to follow their suit in Ethiopia in general and Arssi in particular. The article particularly endeavours to assess three model APCs in Arssi and their conditions; whether they could really inspire the formation of more and more APCs in Arssi and elsewhere in Ethiopia. It also points out social and economic impact of these institutions on the members and non-members. The military junta, the Derg, which ruled Ethiopia between 1974 and 1991, swept away many centuries reigned monarchy in 1974. Subsequently, very swiftly, it came up with dramatic social and economic policies. These policies were meant to bring about fundamental changes by establishing socialist system of production and living conditions in general. The Derg from the very beginning looked towards the East and attempted to adopt some of the socialist strategies and policies, especially from patron socialist country of the USSR unquestionably. Among others, it opted for collectivization of agriculture of small scale farmers and their homes to develop peasant agriculture. The study finds out that those three APCs covered by this study were successful because members were carefully recruited and joined them voluntarily. Cooperators here were mostly former tenants and landless peasants suffered very badly during the imperial times. But the three institutions covered by this paper were insignificant minority. The majority non-model APCs were unsuccessful. This was because members here were forcefully drawn to these institutions and were not carefully selected on the basis of their background. As a result, APCs became sites of exploitation for the members by APCs’ officials and source of fear and terror for the local small scale farmers, whose land could be grabbed any time by the neighboring APCs; model or otherwise. The article could hopefully add a brick to the existing knowledge of the Derg policies and why these policies were failed in most cases.