IMPACT OF MILK COOPERATIVES ON MARKETED SURPLUS OF MILK

The study conducted during 1994-95 in Jalgaon and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra showed two differing scenarios insofar as the impact of milk cooperatives on production and marketed surplus is concerned. While milk cooperatives had positive and significant impact on both production and marketed surplus of milk in Kolhapur district, such impact could not be ascertained in Jalgaon district. The study also showed lower production and marketed surplus during summer season followed by rainy and winter seasons. However, the percentage marketed surplus was the highest in summer season followed by winter and rainy seasons. The higher percentage of marketed surplus in summer season was due to lower milk production, higher demand and higher prices offered by various agencies compared to other seasons. On an average, nearly three-fourths of milk produced was sold in extension and two-thirds in control area of both the selected districts. However, this proportion differed in different seasons and herd size categories. An analysis drawn from Marketed Surplus Function (MSF) also showed that total milk production in the household was the single most significant factor contributing to marketed surplus of milk. The next important variable positively affecting the marketed surplus of milk was the education level of the head of the household, particularly in control area of both the districts. Further, the negative impact of family size on the marketed surplus of milk could be ascertained only in Kolhapur district. In general, price of milk had very little influence on the marketed surplus of milk. Relatively small variation in price of milk within a season could be one of the reasons for lack of impact of price on marketed surplus of milk. Since in the short run there was no possibility of increasing milk production despite variation in prices, the MSF did not show significant influence of prices on marketed surplus of milk.