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 Co-operative
Societies
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Transport
School
Farmer
Fishermen |
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Transportation
Co-operatives
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The
transport co-operatives continue flourish and be competitive in
the market today.
The problems
facing those co-operatives are similar to the problems encountered
by most of the other societies on the island. |
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It is important that the transport co-operatives operationalise
the fact that they can only be competitive by acting in association.
Presently there are three transport co-operatives: Courtesy Taxi
Co-operative, Holiday Taxi Co-operative and Southern Minibus Co-operative. |
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School
Co-operatives
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There
is only one School Thrift Society registered with the Department
of Co-operatives. These organizations fall under the auspices of
the Ministry of education
who is responsible for their promotion and supervision. |
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The Department of Co-operatives is holding dialogue with officials
of the Ministry of Education for the purpose of planning a collaborative
approach for the development and promotion of school based co-operatives. |
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Farmers
Co-operatives
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Co-operatives
involved in the agricultural production or services have not been
doing very well. Of the time registered Co-operatives only two continue
in agricultural production. They are Belle Vue Farmers and St. Lucia
Flora Co-operative Society. |
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problems associated with the farmer co-operatives societies are
many. The include:
a. Small
scale of operation;
b. Poor leadership - weak Management;
c. Low level of capital;
d. Poor membership patronage and participation;
e. Absence of an entrepreneurial approach in running the operations
of the society.
Special
mention should be made, however, of Belle Vue Farmers Co-operative
that have made a special effort in revitalizing their society.
The Department
of co-operatives, along with the Farmers Co-operatives, will be
developing an initiative to seek to address the many problems faced
by those co-operatives. |
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Fishermen's
Co-operatives
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Fishermen's
Co-operative Societies have the object of improving the economic
welfare of their members by utilizing funds and effort for the better
catching, processing and marketing of fish and other approved fish
products. Fishermen's Co-operative Societies have the object of
improving the economic welfare of their members by utilizing funds
and effort for the better catching,processing and marketing of fish
and other approved fish products. The Societies also seek to offer,
in the most economical way, services that are beneficial to their
members. |
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The total membership of
the Fishermen Co-operative Sector is 736. In most co-operative the
members are boat owners who may or may not be fishermen. The crew
on the boat who are actually fishermen, are generally of the opinion
that the Co-operatives offer them no benefits. It is thought that
the most significant benefit of membership in fishermen co-operatives
is the fuel concession given to boat owners by the government. Since
crew-men are not boat owners, hence their opinion of fishermen co-operatives.
Members of the Co-operative
patronize the business, however, they hardly participate in any
other activity of the organizations. The membership of most Co-operatives
and the fishing industry comprise middle age and elderly men. In
an effort to get younger persons to join the industry, the Fisheries
Department embarked on an initiative through a Fishermen Training
Programme. The Programme provided fishermen with techniques and
skills necessary to approach fishing as a business. Although the
programme has been reasonably successful in getting the younger
men to join the fishing industry, very few have joined co-operative
since they do not own fishing boats.
The Department of Co-operatives
will be embarking on a programme of institutional strengthening
of fishermen co-operatives, with the aim of enhancing the delivery
capacity of those co-operatives. This initiative will also address
the opinion of non-boat owners that membership in fishermen co-operatives
is of no benefit to them. The programme will also seek to instill
prudent management practices at those co-operatives.
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