Factors affecting sustainability of farmers groups: the case of Twikinde Malimbichi Cooperative Society of Mgeta, Morogoro
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Date
2004
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Earlier approaches to extension work emphasized the use of individual contact farmers
rather than farmers groups by believing that new agricultural techniques would flow from
innovators to the rest of the farming community through the “trickle down effect”
However, this assumption was found to be inappropriate, particularly in poor third word
countries, where the contact farmer approach seems to have failed to improve the majority
of peasant farmers and therefore farmers’ groups seem more suitable as an extension
technique than the individual approach. There is a lot of faith in farmers’ groups that
various government and non governmental organizations use this approach for their rural
extension programs, but at the same time many groups collapse soon after being formed
hence they are not sustainable. A study to determine factors affecting the sustainability of
farmer’s groups using Twikinde Malimbichi Cooperative Society as a ease study was
conducted in Mgeta Division (Mvomero District) of Morogoro Region.
Data were
collected through survey questionnaires and interview checklists whereby 70 respondents
were consulted through focus group discussions and personal interviews. The cut and
paste analysis was used to select the relevant information.
Also SPSS computer
programme was used for analysis. The results revealed that the idea of group formation did
not directly originate from the members themselves but it was an advice from Upper Mgeta
Horticultural Development Project (UMHODEP). However the group becomes strong and
more sustainable if origin of its formation comes from its members. Further results indicate
that the initial group vision and its objectives were good and suitable with regard to the
members’ benefits but the implementation strategies to realize the vision were not clear to
both members and leaders things which made the group objectives not to be achieved there was a minimum contribution of capital by members for the group investments such as
buildings, inputs shop, lorry and milling machine compared to the grants and loans
received by the group from external sources. This trend contributed to the poor sense of
ownership by the members in the groups’ activities, a factor that led to low sustainability
of the group. Furthermore, the group has gender imbalance such that, most of its leaders
(87%) are males, a situation which shows low participation of women in the group
activities. The findings show that technical and service supports were the common factors
that kept the group members together and proceed to remain in the group, the factors that
enhance the stability of the group membership which is the key factor for the contribution
of positive sustainability of the group.
It is recommended that, Twikinde Malimbichi
should improve its income generating projects so as to be able to generate more funds and
improve working capital of the projects hence increasing its capacity of purchasing the
horticultural products from the farmers. It is also recommended that Twikinde Malimbichi
establish clear implementation strategics to enable all members and leaders to accomplish
perfectly the group objectives and activities.
perfectly hence reducing the sustainability of Twikinde group. The findings revealed that
Description
Thesis
Keywords
Factors affecting sustainability, Farmers groups, Trickle down effect Twikinde Malimbichi Cooperative Society, Mgeta, Morogoro