A Study on the Trends of Cooperative Movement in South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the growth of Cooperatives in south Wollo zone, Ethiopia for the period 1997 EC -2007 EC in which the role of cooperatives has been given recognition in the country. Cooperatives registration data for that period from cooperative registration office were used and a trend analysis was employed to analyze these collected data. The study determined that the overall growth of cooperatives in the study area is impressive both in size and type. Cooperatives has grown 6.6 times it has been ten years ago. The breakthrough new types of cooperatives like transport cooperatives, natural resource cooperatives and etc are being emerged recently. Multipurpose agricultural cooperatives were the dominant cooperatives but latter since 2000 EC SACCOs have taken over the domination. SACCOs took 53% of the total growth of cooperatives. Likewise, in group non-agricultural cooperatives become now dominant in the country. In the trends of cooperative movement consumer cooperatives are the slowly growing cooperatives. The objective of Housing cooperatives establishment lacks cooperative sprits. Furthermore, irrigation cooperatives are becoming known to high level of dormancy level. In proportion, 39% of such cooperatives are dormant. Emerging cooperatives are more likely to be dormant that than other cooperatives.

Keywords: Dominant cooperatives, dormancy level, growth rate, emerging cooperatives