In Abia state agricultural production is the peoples main stay. Most of the people serve through subsistence farming, that is farming for the purpose of satisfying the farmer and their families. This attract the interest of many cooperative, with the aim of improving the standard of living in agricultural production and also lifting the standard of living of it’s members.

But most of the crops did not grow well to what was expected. Some of the product that were affected are cassava, yam tuber, palm trees and other crops. Late eighties, Abia state economy had a mono- sector, dependency on palm production agriculture as their main source of earning. But later trading and white colar job came out pridely, despite that, Abia state was still practicing agricultural production from these, are can observe that output from agricultural production, can neither feed the terming population nor provide sufficient and essential raw materials for the agro based industries palm produced which is the state major cash crop in the past, they supported the economy.

However, in Abia state, despite the abundance of agricultural production which is as a result of cooperative effort has keep the state on the top of food production Igbo’s in (1996) said, it is now on the external sources of food supply is dangerous because it will make the state to be self reliance.

However, history of agriculture has been the bedrock in Abia state economic development over thousands of the people that are in the rural areas are in the labour force with the percentage of 89% which makes it obvious to see the importance of agricultural of Abia state. The producers of palm products per export raw materials on cassava and other crops for man consumption. All of these, made to government to organized peasant farmers into agricultural cooperative with the view of having massive food production, education and mobilizing them to join cooperative in the country.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Cooperative movements is a means of development whereby individuals or group of people with common socio- economic needs already identified come together to contribute their resources in other to solve the objective and to eradicate poor in their members.

Today source of statements has their main scholars advocating the use of cooperative societies for the development of the rural dwellers.

Meanwhile, many programmes have been launched by, the federal government project (ADP) direct of food, roads, and rural infrastructural (DFRRI), better life prgrammes (BLP) family support programmes (FSP) etc.

Cooperative has helped in many aspect of our economic life such as in production for consumption distributions, thrift saving and the provision rural infrastructures.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigeria had embanked on various programme and policies, costing hundred of millions of naira aimed at reviewing the depressed agricultural sector. In view of this, agricultural cooperative was instituted so as to organized the small- scale farmers who are still involved in manual labour type of farming in cooperative and had failed to produce enough food for our terming population thereby forcing the country to be involved in importation of large viability of food with a large percentage decline in agricultural experts.

1.3 THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study are as follows:

(i) To examine the organizational structure and the operation of cooperative movement with reference to Isiukwato local government area of Abia state.

(ii) To examine the impact of the farmer cooperative societies in Isiukwato local government area of Abia state.

(iii) To investigate the problems forcing the farmers cooperative so to know the means of solving them

(iv) To suggest ways and means for enhancing the effectiveness of these societies and assist in further research into contemporary issues on this matter.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The cooperative societies as the name implies has been encountering problems such as malnutrition disease and starvation. In other to minimize and eradicated most of the short comings, there has been constant manipulation of strategies with aim of strengthening the base of the cooperative society to our above mentioned problems. These questions will be considered.

(i) Of what importance or benefit is agricultural production improving through cooperative?

(ii) What are the investment opportunities in the multi- purpose cooperative societies?

(iii) Were they favourable and will this investment opportunities be of a good things?

(iv) Does agricultural production investment opportunities contribute to the profitability of the multipurpose cooperative society?

(v) Motivation as they say increase workers moral and thereby increasing output, to you see the importance of improving agricultural production through cooperative as a means of motivation?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study goes a long way in helping the cooperative societies to know the importance of improving agricultural production. Also it is the belief of the researcher that meaningful contributions could be made to the already existing literature production though cooperatives.

Moreso, this work will have positive influence on the educational studies and will help other researcher working in the field of the study in the course of their research.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study attempts to examine the policies multi- purpose cooperative societies ltd in Umuahia North local government area of Abia state and the importance of cooperatives in improving agricultural production. The constrain achieving the desired development in agricultural and providing a possible solution to over come these shall also be examined in this report.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The limitation as well as the problem were encountered in the course of this research include cost, time constraints, lack of research facilities and the problem of sourcing information in the area of interest browsing it also has the problem of inadequate financial research coupled with excessive transportation cost that was experienced during data collection and high cost of photocopying some relevant materials.

In addition the willingness of the organization management, to release most of the required information needed for the research also affected the study. And some the relevant materials were been delayed by the uncompromising attitude of some of the cooperative officials in charge.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

FARM MANAGEMENT: This is the application of farming science and technology and the solution to the day problem facing to farms.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: It is the index of the radio of the total farm output to the value of the total farm input used in farm production.

AUXILIARY COOPERATIVES: This provide services to individual members of cooperative their followings are:-

(a) To provide credit supply

(b) To marketing

The cooperative concern itself with these functions and never interfere into member’s private management.

PRODUCTION COOPERATIVES: This is a cooperative by integration. This is a situation whereby farmers depend on the societies for their production activities. Therefore, there is a link between the cooperative and members of the manager.