民国时期乌江棉花运销合作社的成立与运营

Establishment and Operation for Cotton Production and Marketing Cooperatives of the Republican Period in Wujiang

乌江邻畔长江,交通便利,适宜植棉。20世纪初,金陵大学在乌江设立农业推广实验区,促进了棉花改良。但棉农并没有取得实际的收益,原因是棉农的市场交易存在较高的成本,包括信息成本、讨价还价的成本、签约和监督的成本,棉农受到中间商剥削;较高的市场交易成本导致集体"搭便车"掺假、棉花质量下降。设立实验区恢复了棉花运销合作,实行"有选择性的激励",降低了棉花交易成本,提高了集体利益。有效经济组织、有选择性激励、人力投资、产权明晰等措施,对当下的"小农大市场"研究颇具指导意义。

Adjacent to the Yangtze River, Wujiang boasts convenient transportation and suitable climate for planting. In the early 20s, University of Nanking set up an experimental area for agriculture extension in Wujiang, effectively promoting the improvement in cotton quality. But the farmers didn＇t obtain any actu- al income, partly because there was a high cost of cotton trading, including the costs of information, bar- gaining, contract and supervision. Farmers were exploited by the middleman. In addition, high market transaction costs led to the collective＇s adulterate thus caused the poor quality of the cotton. Experimental area restored cotton production and marketing cooperatives, practicing selective incentives, to reduce costs and improve the collective interests. The present study points out the guidance value of effective economic organization, selective incentives, human capital investment and clear property rights in the small-scale peasant economy with big market.