Determinants of cooperative pig farmers' safe production behaviour in China——Evidences from perspective of cooperatives' services

Farmers＇ production behaviour is a key to ensuring the safety and quality of their final products, and cooperatives play an important role in shaping that behaviour. This paper aims to explore the determinants of pig farmers＇ safe production behaviour, giving special focus from the perspective of cooperatives＇ services. This study adopted cross sectional survey data from 27 pig cooperatives and their 540 farmers in China to test the influence of cooperatives＇ services on farmers＇ safe production behaviour. The hypotheses were tested using a logit regression model. The findings indicated that although the number of services is not a key determinant of farmers＇ safe production behaviour, service quality matters. When a cooperative is strongly capable of involving more farmers in certain services, and provides certain services in more frequency, member farmers behave more safely. The results also show that veterinarian and pig-selling services play an important role in ensuring farmers＇ safe production behaviour. For this study, the quality of cooperatives＇ services is implied to have a positive impact on farmers＇ safe production behaviour. Leaders/managers of cooperatives must try to improve the quality of their services instead of merely attempting to provide a large number of services. For government officials and policy makers, designing policies that encourage cooperatives to improve their service quality is important. This research contributes to the scant literature on how cooperative services could help farmers engage in safer production behaviour, which would improve the safety of pork products in the future.

Current Situation of Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives in Hainan Province and Development Strategies

This paper introduces the distribution, membership structure and industrial structure of farmers' specialized cooperatives in Hainan Province, and points out some problems in farmers' specialized cooperatives in Hainan Province, such as small scale, low ability to resist risks, lack of standardization in operation, and generally low quality of cooperative members. Finally the following development strategies are put forth: promoting the large scale and standardized development of farmers' specialized cooperatives; enhancing institutionalized education and training for members; encouraging university graduates to work in the cooperatives; providing conventional credit support to cooperatives; increasing fiscal efficiency to support cooperatives.

The Obstacles,Paths and Mechanisms of the Sustainable Development of Farmers' Cooperatives in Hebei Province

Based on the description of the major role played by famers' cooperatives in developing rural economy and in increasing the income of farmers,the obstacles of the sustainable development of famers' cooperatives in Hebei Province are introduced.Firstly,the cooperative mechanism is imperfect;secondly,the development is substandard;thirdly,the coverage of preferential policy is limited;fourthly,the capitals and financing problem are difficult;fifthly,the operation is single;sixthly,the construction of marketing channels is the weak;seventhly,the professional talents are scarce.The sustainable development paths of famers' cooperatives in Heibei Province are analyzed.Firstly,conducting value-added processing and taking the way of materialized development,industrialized operation and enterprise-style management;secondly,implementing agricultural quality and brand strategy and moving into the high level market;thirdly,constructing modern agricultural marketing and taking the road of supermarket agriculture;fourthly,enforcing the management of information and getting efficiency from information;fifthly,developing recycling agriculture and taking the way of improving resource efficiency.There are five ways for establishing the operational mechanism of sustainable development of farmers' cooperatives in Heibei Province.The government should innovate the cooperation mechanism;innovating training and education mechanism;innovating production mechanism;innovating financial mechanism;innovating marketing mechanism.

Comparative Analysis on Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives from the Perspective of Agricultural Industry Chain

Taking three typical farmers' specialized cooperatives in Jingyuan County of Gansu Province as example,this paper compared with the operating mode of three cooperatives and their position in the agricultural industry chain,and analyzed operating characteristics,problems,and similarities of three cooperatives and their functions in the agricultural industry chain.The study indicated that the farmers' specialized cooperatives can accurately find their position in the agricultural industry chain.This is helpful for raising their comprehensive competitiveness and it is very important to manage the survival and development of farmers' specialized cooperatives,which is of utmost importance to their effective operation.According to this study,the government should strengthen its support,speed up the cultivation of new-type professional farmers,while farmers' specialized cooperatives should grasp the operating characteristics,locate themselves and integrate multi-resources.These are effective measures for promoting healthy operation of farmers' specialized cooperatives.

SWOT Analysis and Development Strategies for Chinese Farmers' Professional Cooperatives

With the development of China＇s market economy, the agricultural products＇ market has changed from the seller＇s market into the buyer＇s market. Therefore, the limitations of the household contract responsibility system gradually appeared. The farmers professional cooperatives not only covered the limitations but also effectively connected the small-scale farmers with the competitive market by increasing the farmers＇ organizational degree. However, during the development process of farmers＇ professional cooperatives, many problems were exposed. By using SWOT analysis belonging to the field of enterprise strategic management, this paper discussed the opportunities and threats of the external environment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment of Chinese farmers＇ professional cooperatives. Thereby, it proposed some development strategies for Chinese farmers professional cooperatives in the current stage .

Comprehensive Evaluation on Demonstration Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives on the Basis of AHP Model

On the basis of AHP method,this paper establishes comprehensive evaluation model of demonstration farmers' specialized cooperatives,uses the Delphi method and AHP software to assign scientific and objective weight to 7 criteria in criteria layer and 27 indices in index layer,and evaluate the overall level of 153 farmers' specialized cooperatives whose main business is fruits and vegetables in Region R.The results show that the overall operation level of farmers' specialized cooperatives is common;democratic and financial management is open;the information-based level and social sensation are not insufficient;the marking results of questionnaire is basically scientific and objective.This paper discusses the new way to evaluate operation level of farmers' specialized cooperatives,and puts forward relevant countermeasures and suggestions as follows:promote the information-based level of demonstration cooperatives;strengthen the service capacity of demonstration cooperatives;use means of science and technology to promote product quality;amplify social sensation of farmers' specialized cooperatives.

Willingness of Farmers Joining Professional Cooperatives——Based on the Questionnaire Survey of Nanjing

Based on the questionnaire survey of farmers in Nanjing City,the research analyzes the influencing factors of farmers' willingness joining professional cooperatives with Binary Logistic model.Results show that variable factors such as:labors,degrees of education,levels of awareness,development of judgments,have positive relation to the willingness of farmers joining professional cooperatives;gender and financial demands are negative related to willingness of farmers joining professional cooperatives;variable factors,such as ages,degrees of education,numbers of farmers,scale of land,generation experience,specific investment and fluctuations of prices,the estimated parameters of which are not significant.At last,the paper points out that the 2 important ways in accelerating the development of professional cooperatives are:the first is to accelerate the capital accumulation of advanced farmers and strengthen the scaled degrees of agricultural management.The second is to promote the information and techniques accumulation speed of professional farmers to strengthen people's awareness and confidence.

Research on the Problem Investigation and Standardized Improvement Paths of Farmers’ Cooperatives

Farmers’cooperatives are an important force to promote agricultural and rural modernization and rural revitalization.From an investigation,it is found that the development of some farmers’cooperatives is not standardized.Prominent problems are as follows:firstly,the operating mechanism is not standardized,and there is a contradiction between democratic decision-making and management efficiency;secondly,the supervision and management are not standardized,and some cooperatives even resort to deceit to obtain financial subsidies;thirdly,the distribution mechanism is not standardized,and core members invade the interests of small peasant households,so the motivation of ordinary peasant households to participate in cooperatives is not high.It is recommended to strengthen the assessment and supervision of cooperatives,implement the"late funding"model,improve the efficiency of financial support,strengthen the training of farmers,establish a interest linkage mechanism of farmers and cooperatives,protect the rights of members,and promote the standardized development of farmers’cooperatives.

Advantages,Difficulties and Countermeasures of Farmers’ Professional Cooperatives Guaranteeing the Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products

Food safety concerns the health of consumers,while quality and safety of agricultural products are the source of food safety,and it is of great significance to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products.The decentralized production mode of Chinese farmers is the main threat to the source of food production safety in China.In this paper,the advantages of Chinese farmers'professional cooperatives in controlling quality of agricultural products and difficulties in the quality and safety assurance of agricultural products are analyzed.Finally,the guaranteeing measures of the quality and safety of agricultural products by Chinese farmers'professional cooperatives are proposed.

Recommendations for Optimizing Internal Management Mechanism of Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives

Based on the survey of 38 farmers' specialized cooperatives in Hubei Province,this paper analyzed existing problems in internal management mechanism of cooperatives,including widespread problem of centralized control,imperfect supervision mechanism,lack of effective incentive mechanism,insufficient specialized personnel,and limited participation of cooperative members in management. It elaborated causes for these problems from the perspective of practice. Finally,it came up with recommendations for optimizing farmers' specialized cooperatives: building democratic decision making mechanism with coordination of cooperative members and able personnel,establishing supervision mechanism suitable for self demands,improving internal incentive mechanism,establishing talent introduction and cultivation mechanism in proper time,and strengthening internal member management of cooperatives.

Operation Mechanism of Farmers' Professional Cooperatives from the Point of Low-Carbon Agricultural Products

We firstly take a look at internal logic of cluster development of low-carbon agricultural products.In combination with operation features of farmers' professional cooperatives and actual requirements for cluster development of low-carbon agricultural products;we elaborate establishing benefit allocation mechanism,bearing education and training functions,forming low-carbon value,building low-carbon identification system,as well as realizing low-carbon value.According to these situations,we systematically analyze operation mechanism of farmers' professional cooperatives suitable for cluster development of low-carbon agricultural products.To promote cluster development of low-carbon agricultural products,we put forward following suggestions,including government guidance and encouragement,social acceptance and active cooperation,and integration into global low-carbon development system to share benefit of low-carbon development.

Exploration of Problems in Developing Jilin Farmers' Professional Cooperatives

Establishment of farmers' professional cooperatives is an effective approach of settling conflicts between small-scale production of rural households and great market, however, there are still many problems such as low level of standardization, unscientific market positioning, poor capacity of mitigating risks, and unfavorable ecological benefits. This study, based on field investigation data and successful support experience, further explored operation and management problems existing in Jilin Farming Cooperative, and proposed pertinent solutions so as to enhance the high-efficiency and standard operation of farmers' professional cooperatives in Jilin Province and even China.

Analysis on Governance Structure of Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives in Sichuan Province

In this paper, 87 farmers' specialized cooperatives in Sichuan Province were investigated firstly, and then their governance structure was analyzed from the aspects of authority, decision-making mechanism, supervision mechanism and executive body based on the corporative governance structure in narrowest sense, finally corresponding policy suggestions for improving the governance structure of farmers' specialized cooperatives in Sichuan Province were put forward. It is concluded that human control is serious within farmers' specialized cooperatives; inner supervision is effective; council has great effects on governance structure; the cooperatives give limited incentive to managers.

Development and Economic Effect of Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives

The paper introduces the present development of farmers' specialized cooperatives in China, points out that although the cooperatives in China develop rapidly, they are generally small and their advantages cannot be given into full play, and then analyzes the development achievements of the cooperatives, for example, they have realized scale benefits, their management system tends to more mature, the economic value of their brands is improved and they have created great economic benefits. The paper also points out the stable development path for the cooperatives, that is, the cooperatives should cooperate with local villages, and take a path of combined village and cooperative development so that the cooperative members can get a stable income; the cooperatives can also cooperate with local leading enterprises, which can help the cooperatives to manage, sell and form their products brands, thus the cooperatives can get loans easily to solve the capital bottleneck of cooperative development and improve the members' incomes.

Resource Dependence Relationship between Grass-roots Government and Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives

Based on theories of resource dependence and government functions,this paper analyzed benefit interaction between grass-roots government and farmers' specialized cooperatives in Hubei Province. It was intended to make clear the path dependence relationship between grassroots government and farmers' specialized cooperatives and find out problems in between. Besides,from the perspective of grass-roots government and farmers' specialized cooperatives,it came up with corresponding recommendations,to promote constant improvement of farmers' specialized cooperatives,and help them to become key forces of leading farmers to get rich,pull agricultural economic development,and promote new socialist countryside construction.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Farmers' Participation in Forest Farmers Cooperatives Based on Empirical Research of Zhejiang Province

Based on field research data of farmers in Zhejiang Province, the authors analyzed factors influencing farmers' participation in forest farmers cooperatives (hereafter referred to as FFCs) by the binary logistic regression model. Results show that understanding of farmers about cooperatives has a great influence on their behavior of participation in FFCs. Besides, educational level of householders and existing member scale of cooperatives also have significant influence on farmers' behavior of participation in cooperatives. Therefore, it is required to strengthen propaganda of cooperatives, deepen their understanding of cooperatives; cultivate new high quality farmers to provide talents for development of cooperatives; establish incentive mechanism to encourage farmers to participate in cooperatives.

Management Models and Development Strategies of the Farmers’ Professional Cooperatives in the Western Poor Counties and Regions of China: A Case Study of Long’an County,Guangxi

In the new era,an important task is how farmers’professional cooperatives to better adapt to new development environment and effectively solve the problems that"who will cultivate land"and"who does agriculture depend on"in the future.In this paper,model and development direction of farmers’professional cooperatives in Long’an County of Guangxi are analyzed and studied based on realistic development background of Guangxi.

Evaluation of Governance Structure of Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives

In this paper,from the authority,decision-making body,supervisory body and implementing body,we analyze the governance structure evaluation indicators of farmers' specialized cooperatives,using objective and subjective combination weighting approach.And we draw the following conclusions:the rate of return of profits for membership,frequency of council convened and the number of members of board of supervisors have a great impact on the governance structure of cooperatives; the insider control phenomenon in cooperatives is more serious and the level of incentives is limited.Finally we put forward corresponding policy recommendations.

Research on Contractual Model Selection of Farmers' Cooperatives——A Case Study of Production and Marketing Cooperative of Sweet Pomegranate in Mengzi,Yunnan

In the perspective of new institutional economics,we regard farmers' cooperatives as a "contractual set" integrating a series of long-term contractual relations,and transform the selection problem of organization forms into selection problem of contractual model within organization.By the theoretical framework of Transaction Cost Economics,we analyze the formation mechanism and determinant factors of contractual model of different farmers' cooperatives and conduct case study on Production and Marketing Cooperative of Sweet Pomegranate in Mengzi,Yunnan.The results show that selecting contractual forms of cooperatives is the result of weighing many factors;new organization model or contractual arrangement is complementary to the former system arrangement;the selection of cooperatives model is an important factor impacting cooperation efficiency and stability of organization.One organization model with efficiency not only hinges on the transaction characteristic of organization,but also considers the compatibility with exterior transaction environment.In the process of selecting contractual model,we should conform to objective evolving law,but not be in thrall to a certain given form.

Current Development Situations and Countermeasures for Tobacco Farmers' Specialized Cooperatives in Hunan Province

This paper firstly introduces development history of China's farmers' specialized cooperatives and connotation and mechanism of tobacco farmers' specialized cooperatives. Then, it analyzes current development situations of tobacco farmers' specialized cooperatives in Hunan Province. On the basis of analysis, it puts forward development countermeasures, including realizing circulation of tobacco land, strengthening propaganda of laws on tobacco farmers' specialized cooperatives, increasing operation effect of tobacco farmers' specialized cooperatives, enhancing guidance and supervision of tobacco farmers' specialized cooperatives, as well as improving specialized service level.