Assessing Success of Marketing Cooperatives through Leadership and Governance — A Case Study

The study has evaluated the functional dimensions, management efficiency and strengths of a multipurpose agro-processing marketing cooperative society — The Deogad Mango Growers’ Co-operative Sale Purchase Society (DMGSS), which is located in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. The evaluation of DMGSS has revealed that major reasons for its efficient functioning were timely delivery of inputs to farmer-members, reasonable rates of fertilizer, remunerative prices for the farmers’ produce, and fair weighing practices. These were followed by the society's, provision of finances to the members for meeting expenses towards electricity bill, labour payment, purchase of land, heathcare, marriage, etc. In addition to these reasons, the existence of interest-cum-entrepreneurial groups in extending dedicated and efficient leadership was the main factor behind efficient functioning of the society. The society has shown autonomy/independence in its functioning and has full knowledge about the market forces and its business activities. The society has been found quite successful not only at farm level in terms of payment for farmers’ produce, input delivery and guidance to farmers about package of practices but also with respect to final disposal of produce to the consumer at remunerative rates due to efficient management practices.