Analysis on Development Pathway of Farmer Organization under the Background of Rural Revitalization

The development of farmer organization will play an important role in rural revitalization. Basic pathways of farmer organization development are excavating common interest,playing the role of farmer elite,cultivating modern farmers and increasing government support. But due to the influences of rural culture tradition and current management system,there exists certain difficulty to meet these conditions to different extents,which decides that benign development of farmer organization will be a long persistence process.

Effect of Social Capital on Performance of Smallholder Farmer Organizations in Western Kenya

Development literature has recently promoted the use of producer organizations in linking farmers to better-paying commodity markets. However, empirical studies find mixed performance of such organizations. This study examines the producer organizations＇ internal factors that may explain the differences in the performance of producer organizations. The study specifically analyzes the role of social capital, within a producer organization, on the performance of such organization using quantitative techniques. The level of commercialization is used as proxy of organization＇s performance. The study finds that social capital positively affects the performance of producer organizations. These findings imply that development strategies that target the promotion commercialization of smallholder agriculture through producer organizations should pay attention to the internal factors within such organizations.

International Experience of Farmers Specialized Cooperative Economic Organizations in Marketing of Agricultural Products

In the world,development modes of farmers specialized cooperative economic organizations mainly includes two types:( i) specialized agricultural cooperatives with the United States of America as representative,and( ii) comprehensive agricultural cooperatives with Japan and South Korea as representative. In comparison,China mainly develops farmers specialized cooperatives which are agricultural production with family as unit and small in land and management scale like agricultural production in Japan. Therefore,in marketing of agricultural products,cooperatives in the United States of America and Japan have successful experience. China may learn such experience in the development of farmers specialized cooperatives.

Employment and Performance of Agricultural Graduates： Who Are We Training for？

The fit-for purpose of agricultural graduates in the job market remains a challenge to agricultural training and education despite the active involvement of farmer organizations, non-governmental organizations （NGOs）, and agribusiness in the agriculture job market. This paper traces： （1） the employment of agricultural graduates in the last 10 years in Mali, Republic of Congo, Ghana, and the Gambia; and （2） through a case study, assesses the attitudinal and mindset change in the way research for development is conducted by research staff of the National Agricultural Research Institute （NARI） of the Gambia. Not surprisingly, the public sector consistently employed more agricultural graduates in all four countries. The next highest employer of agricultural graduates was the NGOs, followed by agribusiness. Positive attitudinal and mindset change among research staff and their collaborators in the Gambia was enhanced when collaborative learning and coaching and mentoring in managerial and financial skills enhancement complemented technical skills improvements. Employers indicated strong preference for graduates in agricultural engineering and farm machinery; agricultural economics with emphasis on farm management; innovation systems and value chains; and information communication technology including report writing. Farmers＇ organizations showed particular interest in interpersonal skills; participatory technology development and dissemination; and appreciation of socio-cultural contexts including farmer innovations. In Mali, Ghana and the Gambia, employers reported that 4%-14% of the agricultural graduates they hired were women.

Specialized Cooperative Economic Organization of Farmers: Problems and Suggestions

This article analyses the problems of the specialized cooperative economic organizations offarmers in their development process. These problems are: excessive interference by localgovernments; low service capacity at the operating level; administrative and managementconfusion resulting from the lack of status as a legal entity, with rules and regulations. It issuggested that the relevant laws and regulations concerning these organizations beestablished as soon as possible, giving them a legal identification; that the regulations andorganizational structure be perfected; that support be increased and the financial situationof the specialized cooperative economic organizations of farmers be improved.