Comparative analysis of cooperative & non-cooperative farmers in Kosovo

Abstract

. As reported by the GDP per capita Kosovo is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Relying on the importance and dependence of Kosovo`s economy, it is evident that the development of agriculture sector is among the prime concern of the country`s strategy and international support programs. Several international studies assess the potential of agricultural cooperatives in transforming traditional agricultural farms to modern market-oriented business units, accelerating growth and addressing rural poverty. This research aims to analyze the relationship between socio-demographic, agricultural, and economic factors pertaining to cooperative and noncooperative farmers in Kosovo and also shows their motivation and expectation related to agricultural practice and behavior. Primary data was collected in 2018 form 165 farmers through semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi square and T-test. The results indicated that there was a significant difference (p<0.01) between cooperative and non-cooperative farmers in various factors. Results indicated that the cooperative farmers have agricultural education, more family members are engaged in agricultural activity, have more access to seasonal employees, sharing machinery, higher readiness to invest in machinery with other farmers, and a high level of trust, they mostly operate in vegetable production and have higher income. Furthermore, the results showed differences in sales chain between two groups of farmers. The results contribute to governmental and non-governmental agencies to encourage farmers to establish/join viable cooperatives.