Vol. 12, Special Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Dhara Patel and Dr. Mehul G Thakkar

Abstract:
Today, the cooperative sector in India is not only one of the biggest in the world but also one of the mainstays of agriculture. In Indian context, the word ‘cooperative’ is treated as a synonym to positive energy, as in most cases, a cooperative effort results in amazing reciprocity and synergy; that helps all people within such a cooperative to enjoy a better support system. In an agrarian economy like our India, wherein majority of Indian population depend on agriculture and allied occupation for their livelihood and food security; these cooperatives play vital role for rural development. They protect their member farmers from private moneylenders and also provide a varied gamut of services. In this regard, the present Empirical Research Study assesses the expectations, satisfaction and problems of member farmers of a leading cooperative Shri Navsari Sahkari Kharid Vechan Sangh Ltd.; located in the coastal region of South Gujarat in the vibrant Gujarat State. Based on a rigorous survey of 170 respondents – member farmers selected through simple random sampling method, this study found that the satisfaction level of member farmers is moderate to high on four parameters namely Marketing and Business Aspects, Management Aspects, Customer Services, and Member Commitment. The top five expectations of member farmers were found to be access to credit, convenient operating hours, employees of coopreative understanding need of the customers, time saving and better supply chain management.