Economic feasibility of cooperatives in agriculture in Malta

Abstract

Society may be defined as "an association of shareholders, usually described as members, who ... have contributed a fund of capital to be employed under their collective direction for trading purposes in providing for their needs as producers or consumers." (F. Hall "Handbook for members of co-operative committees." The basic structure of co-operative government is simple. In detail the arrangements are diverse but much less so than the government of trade unions. The main authority is the members' meeting which is held regularly and frequently. To this meeting report the management and other committees. These committees are themselves regularly elected by the qualified members, although certain officers may be appointed by the management committee. The conditions of candidature for committees are quite stringent and are designed to ensure that executive control will remain in the hands of loyal members. An innovation, intended to change production practices in agriculture in Pakistan, was the organization of co-operatives to provide credit and encourage savings. The village co-operatives pooled resources, encouraged farm planning and savings, and carried out some of the simpler administrative tasks. There was also central pooling of some equipment (pumps and tractors) that was costly and inefficient to own, even for a whole village.