Many cooperatives die despite heroic effort if it does not get help from government or big brothers of cooperative. A case in point is Kesla Women’s Broiler Poultry Producers’ Cooperative in Madhya Pradesh.
It is country’s first women poultry cooperative which was began a decade ago. It was doing fine till recently. But some private players, sensing the success of the cooperative lowered the price of chicken so much that poultry cooperative could be washed out. It is an old corporate game.
The cooperative has 900 women-members from 34 hamlets in tribal belt of Suktawa village. Its Suktawa chicken brand is quite successful in the local market
The male members of the families supply them in nearby markets of Suktawa, Betul, Multai, Bhopal, Itarsi, Hoshangabad, Panchmarhi and Pipariya.
IB Group, the private player has pegged down the price of broiler chicken. The competitor firm has fixed the broiler chicken price at Rs 40 per kg to wholesalers, while the helpless cooperative says it cannot climb down from its present Rs 45 per kg.
State government has refused to intervene and help the poor tribal women involved in this cooperative., though it does not mind organizing global conference in the name of cooperative.
NCUI being the apex cooperative should move forward to help such cooperatives which are facing problem despite putting in great effort.