Financing Capability of Farmers′Cooperatives in Fujian

The financing channels and funding sources the Provincial Farmers′Cooperatives in the province relied on for raising their capital were surveyed.Based on the information obtained,the causes of the financial shortages the organizations experienced in the past were thoroughly analyzed by means of the analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation.As a result,aprogram consisting of 21 criteria was developed to evaluate the individual cooperative′s ability to provide basic loan guarantees and maintain a sustainable development and a stable fiscal status,as well as the executive's professional competency and managerial skills.Our survey on 44farmers' cooperatives in the province seemed to show(a)ageneral lack of marketing expertise in the organizations;(b)a significant deviation between the cooperatives' ability to secure funds for the businesses associated with crop breeding/aquaculture and that for the operations involved in conventional farming;also,between that for the largescale commodity segments and the small-sized firms;and,(c)a considerable variation on the professional skill levels of the top management.These shortfalls inevitably impeded an efficient operation for some cooperatives,even though their infrastructures were generally updated.Accordingly,suggestions concerning how to effectively enhance their fundraising capability,strengthen personnel training,and vitalize support mechanism are presented.