Agricultural Cooperative's Role on the Development of Community Economics in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate the business activities, quantity and size of agricultural cooperatives in Chiang Mai Province as well as their roles on the development of community economics. Sample in this study were 47 agricultural cooperative managers. Data were gathered through interviewing and from documents related. The data were also analyzed by descriptive statistics which were percentage and mean.

            The result of this study showed that the main business activity was credit business. The other were purchasing, selling and saving. Generally, the bigger size the agricultural cooperative was, the more business activities conducted. Agricultural cooperatives had total invested capital of 1,229,916,151.00 Baht, while the sum of their credit business was 1,877,313,727.00 Baht which could support 51,960 members. The value of saving, purchasing and selling business were 295,849,318.00, 331,772,730.00 and 233,852,800.90 Baht respectively,

            The role of agricultural cooperatives on the development of community economics could be explained in terms of enhancement of value of provincial gross domestic product, agricultural occupation, invested capital, stability of agricultural product price and development of economic status.

            The study suggested that agricultural cooperatives should carried out only business activities related to agricultural occupation such as credit and purchasing business rather than expanding for more activities. Another suggestion was to promote common understanding about cooperative concept among the committees, the personel and the members in order to accelerate the development of agriculture as a whole.