Performance evaluation of women farmer cooperative societies in Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the performance of women farmer cooperatives in Owerri Agricultural Zone of Imo State. Data were collected from 50 women farmer cooperators studied in four local governments within the Zone. Factors such as age of cooperators, family size, farm size, input costs and labour costs were identified to have significant influence on output level of women cooperators while factors such as level of education and membership strength were found to have no significant influence on the output level of women farmer cooperators. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others improvement in practice of channeling loans to rural women through cooperatives, adequate and timely provision of agricultural inputs to cooperatives, adequate supervision of cooperatives and creation of effective link between local government agricultural extension and state cooperative office as strategies to improve the efficiency and performance of women farmer cooperatives in the zone.


(J Agric & Soc Res:2003 3(2): 97-107)