POSSIBILITIES FOR THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO USE THE EXPERIENCE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVES IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

J. Hodis

Summary
The development of different types of agricultural co--operatives in Czechoslovakia is evaluated for the whole period from the rise of the first co-operatives up to the present time. Much of the experience gained during this long development can be useful for developing countries. What may be of the greatest help is the experience with suppressing the black market in farm products through the establishment and activity of marketing and consumer co-operatives. It is also important to know that agricultural co--operatives should be developed successively from the simple to the more complex forms. In Czechoslovak agriculture an important role was played by the Machine and Tractor Stations which did,in the form of services, the mechanized operations for the farmers and the newly established co-operatives. The Stations also trained farm workers and mechanizers and taught them how to use the machines properly: this is another area of experience that may be useful to the developing countries.

Key words:
agricultural co-operatives, agrarian reform, co-operative relations, conditions of market mechanism, self-sufficiency in food

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