IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/agreko/10124.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Agricultural cooperatives II: Can they facilitate access of small-scale farmers in South Africa to input and product markets?

Author

Listed:
  • Ortmann, Gerald F.
  • King, Robert P.

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate whether agricultural cooperatives can facilitate smallholder farmer access to input and product markets. Farmers in two case study communal areas of KwaZulu-Natal face high transaction costs as reflected primarily in their low levels of education and literacy, lack of market information, insecure property rights, poor road and communication infrastructure, and long distances to markets. Analysis of the reasons why cooperatives were originally established in various parts of the world suggests that most of the causes (such as poverty, market failure and high transaction costs) also apply to the study farmers, as do the seven international principles of cooperation. Smallholder farmers in both case study regions have the potential to grow high-value crops such as vegetables, fruit and cut flowers. In the supply chain from farm to market, the optimum boundary for each organization involved in the chain (e.g. cooperative and investor-oriented firm) depends on the minimum operational and transaction costs for each business.

Suggested Citation

  • Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2007. "Agricultural cooperatives II: Can they facilitate access of small-scale farmers in South Africa to input and product markets?," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 46(2), pages 1-26, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:agreko:10124
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.10124
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/10124/files/46020219.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.10124?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Iliopoulos, Constantine & Cook, Michael L., 1999. "The Internal Organization of the Cooperative Firm: An Extension of a New Institutional Digest," Journal of Cooperatives, NCERA-210, vol. 14, pages 1-9.
    2. Reardon, Thomas & Barrett, Christopher B., 2000. "Agroindustrialization, globalization, and international development: An overview of issues, patterns, and determinants," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 195-205, September.
    3. Royer, Jeffrey S., 1999. "Cooperative Organizational Strategies: A Neo-Institutional Digest," Journal of Cooperatives, NCERA-210, vol. 14, pages 1-24.
    4. Piesse, Jenifer & Doyer, Tobias & Thirtle, Colin & Vink, Nick, 2005. "The changing role of grain cooperatives in the transition to competitive markets in South Africa," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 197-218, March.
    5. Trechter, David D. & King, Robert P. & Walsh, Laura, 2002. "Using Communications to Influence Member Commitment in Cooperatives," Journal of Cooperatives, NCERA-210, vol. 17, pages 1-19.
    6. Johann Kirsten & Kurt Sartorius, 2002. "Linking agribusiness and small-scale farmers in developing countries: Is there a new role for contract farming?," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 503-529.
    7. Pierre Matungul & Michael Lyne & Gerald Ortmann, 2001. "Transaction costs and crop marketing in the communal areas of Impendle and Swayimana, KwaZulu-Natal," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 347-363.
    8. Machethe, C. L., 1990. "Factors Contributing To Poor Performance Of Agricultural Co-Operatives In Less Developed Areas," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 29(4), December.
    9. Fulton, Murray E. & Ketilson, Lou Hammond, 1992. "The Role of Cooperatives in Communities: Examples from Saskatchewan," Journal of Agricultural Cooperation, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, vol. 7, pages 1-28.
    10. Holloway, Garth & Nicholson, Charles & Delgado, Chris & Staal, Steve & Ehui, Simeon, 2000. "Agroindustrialization through institutional innovation: Transaction costs, cooperatives and milk-market development in the east-African highlands," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 279-288, September.
    11. Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2007. "Agricultural Cooperatives I: History, Theory and Problems," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 46(01), pages 1-29, March.
    12. Fulton, Joan R. & Popp, Michael P. & Gray, Carolyn, 1996. "Strategic Alliance and Joint Venture Agreements in Grain Marketing Cooperatives," Journal of Cooperatives, NCERA-210, vol. 11, pages 1-15.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2006. "Small-Scale Farmers in South Africa: Can Agricultural Cooperatives Facilitate Access to Input and Product Markets?," Staff Papers 13930, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    2. Ortmann, Gerald F. & King, Robert P., 2007. "Agricultural Cooperatives I: History, Theory and Problems," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 46(01), pages 1-29, March.
    3. Ortmann, Gerald F., 2005. "Promoting the competitiveness of South African agriculture in a dynamic economic and political environment," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 44(3), pages 1-35, September.
    4. Vishnu, Kedar & Rai, Ruchika, 2022. "Measuring The Impact of Transaction Costs on Profitability of Farmers: Empirical Evidence from India," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322593, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Barrett, Christopher B., 2008. "Smallholder market participation: Concepts and evidence from eastern and southern Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 299-317, August.
    6. Mabuza, Majola Lawrence & Ortmann, Gerald F. & Wale, Edilegnaw Zegeye, 2012. "Collective action in commercial mushroom production: the role of social capital in the management of informal farmer groups in Swaziland," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126764, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Federica Di Marcantonio & Pavel Ciaian & Vicente Castellanos, 2018. "Unfair trading practices in the dairy farm sector: Evidence from selected EU regions," JRC Research Reports JRC112770, Joint Research Centre.
    8. Thembi Xaba & Nyankomo Marwa & Babita Mathur-Helm, 2018. "Efficiency and Profitability Analysis of Agricultural Cooperatives in Mpumalanga, South Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 10(6), pages 1-10.
    9. Tharakan, Joe & Lefèvre, Mélanie, 2011. "Intermediaries, transport costs and interlinked transactions," CEPR Discussion Papers 8615, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Michelson, Hope & Reardon, Thomas & Perez, Francisco, 2012. "Small Farmers and Big Retail: Trade-offs of Supplying Supermarkets in Nicaragua," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 342-354.
    11. Peter Dannenberg, 2013. "The rise of supermarkets and challenges for small farmers in South African food value chains," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 15(3), pages 15-34.
    12. Wang LIJIA & Huo XUEXI, 2014. "Transaction Costs Comparison Between Cooperatives And Conventional Apple Producers: A Case Study Of Northwestern China," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 85(2), pages 233-255, June.
    13. Agbo, Maxime & Rousselière, Damien & Salanié, Julien, 2015. "Agricultural marketing cooperatives with direct selling: A cooperative–non-cooperative game," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 56-71.
    14. Tina L. Saitone & Richard J. Sexton & Benoît Malan, 2018. "Price premiums, payment delays, and default risk: understanding developing country farmers’ decisions to market through a cooperative or a private trader," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(3), pages 363-380, May.
    15. Benfica, Rui M.S. & Tschirley, David L. & Sambo, Liria, 2002. "The Impact of Alternative Agro-Industrial Investments on Poverty Reduction in Rural Mozambique," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 56055, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    16. Alsemgeest, L. & Smit, A.v.A., 2012. "Customer satisfaction of agricultural business units: The case of a major South African agricultural business," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 51(01), February.
    17. Mignouna, D.B. & Abdoulaye, T. & Alene, A. & Akinola, A.A. & Manyong, V.M., 2015. "Drivers of Market Participation Decisions among Small-scale Farmers in Yam Growing Areas of Nigeria and Ghana," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 230219, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Maxime Agbo & Damien Rousselière & Julien Salanié, 2013. "A Theory of Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives with Direct selling," Working Papers halshs-00906894, HAL.
    19. Benjamin Musah Abu & Haruna Issahaku & Paul Kwame Nkegbe, 2016. "Farmgate versus market centre sales: a multi-crop approach," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Kuhle Prudence Mnisi & Abdul Latif Alhassan, 2021. "Financial structure and cooperative efficiency: A pecking‐order evidence from sugarcane farmers in Eswatini," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(2), pages 261-281, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:agreko:10124. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeasaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.