191 1.] Agricultural Co-operative Societies. 



Co-operative 

 Agricultural 

 and Credit Societies 

 in the 

 United Kingdom. 



Co-operative Agricultural Societies.— The following note, based upon 

 Returns made direct to the Board of Trade, is summarised from infor- 

 mation which appeared in the Labour Gazette 

 for January, 1911. 



Co-operative agricultural societies are 

 mainly associations of producers, and may be 

 classified into "productive" societies, "distri- 

 butive " societies, and associations for the 

 insurance of cattle. The "productive" 

 societies are occupied in buying, manufacturing, and selling the produce 

 of the individual members, and their operations are chiefly confined to 

 the dairying industry. There were 317 such societies in the United 

 Kingdom in 1909, their total sales amounting to ,£2,005,314, and their 

 profit to ,£23,663. 



The "distributive" societies are occupied in the collective purchase 

 and distribution of the seeds, manures, implements, &c, required by 

 the members, and in the sale of the cattle, eggs, poultry, &c, produced 

 by members. There were 336 such societies in 1909, with sales amount- 

 ing to £1,566,077, and profit to £13,071. The distribution of the 

 profit in the case of both types of society is determined by the value 

 of the transactions carried out for the individual members. 



The membership of the above 653 societies was 85,272, with a total 

 share capital of £221,268. Their loan capital amounted to £232,158; 

 reserve and insurance funds to £165,161. In addition to these asso- 

 ciations must be reckoned the farming and dairying departments of 71 

 industrial societies and one agricultural society. 



The following table shows the sales of the agricultural productive 

 and distributive societies in 1908 and 1909, as compared with 1899 : — 





Production. 



Distribution. 



Total. 



Special 

 Farming and 

 Dairying 

 Societies. 



Farming and 



Dairying 

 Departments 

 of Wholesale 



and Retail 

 Distributive 

 Societies. 



Agricultural 

 Trading, Egg and 

 Poultry, and Bee 

 Keepers' Societies 

 of all kinds. 



Agricultural 

 Distribution and 

 Production by 

 Societies of 

 all classes. 



r l899 ••• -• 



1908 ... ... 



1909 • 



£ 



645,158 

 1,929,540 

 2,005,314 



£ 



307,548 

 494,889 



467.967 



£ 



333,825 

 1,292,503 

 1,566,077 



£ 



i,286,53r 

 3,716,932 

 4,039,358 



Increase of 

 1909 over 1899 



1,360,156 



160,419 



1,232,252 



2,752,827 



Percentage 



increase 



2108 



52-2 



369-1 



214*0 



In distribution nearly 665 per cent, of the total increase shown 

 during the ten years has taken place in England and Wales, 15"! 

 per cent, in Scotland, <and about i8§ per cent, in Ireland. Of the 

 increases in production 84'8 per cent, is attributable to societies in 



3 U 2 



