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Current Theoretical problems of Yugoslav Agricultural Co-operatives
Aleksandar Raič
Sažetak
The author tries to interpret the questions raised during recent discussions
on Yugoslav agricultural co-operatives in the light of E. Kardelj’s theory on agricultural
co-operatives. In the first section of his article the author sums up the
principal views of that theory and states that the agricultural co-operative is not
the aspired ultimate model of socialist development in rural communities. Therefore
from the point of view of Kardelj’s theory the disappearance of the characteristics
of the co-operative as an association of co-operating members, and the
strengthening of its characteristics as an enterprise cannot be critically assessed.
What is called the Yugoslav 'co-operative question' can be treated exclusively
as a question of the possibility of the development of group economic operation
by private farmers on the principles of workers’ self-management. However, this
type of enterprise need not necessarily be organized on the co-operative model.
The author then discusses the various aspects of agricultural co-operatives
as a factor of co-operation between self-managed socialist enterprises and a number
of peasant households. He states that the system of socialist enterprises, in which
workers’ self-management is developed, must not be identified with co-operative
farming. Co-operative principles and the principles of workers’ self-management
— despite a number of similarities — are not identical. This raises the problem of
finding the laws of the transformation of agricultural co-operatives into the
system of self-managed socialist enterprises.
Bearing in mind this nature of the Yugoslav co-operative problem, the author
takes a critical view of the concept which calls for a simple reconstruction of the
classical agricultural co-operative while at the same time neglecting the problem
of setting up this type of collective enterprise on the principle of workers' self-
-management. This problem cannot be solved by the classical type of co-operative,
which thus cannot be regarded as a special form of socialist evolution which
could develop without conflicting with the self-managing system of economic
operation. Starting from this basic view, the author discusses the elements of
the concept of agricultural co-operative according to which in the system of self-
-managed socialist economic operation co-operatives may take over the functions of a socializing mechanism. The co-operative can become a kind of group enterprise
of associated private farmers capable of a regular production of goods.
It cannot avoid the processes of agro-industrial integration which turns in into a
factor of the subordination of private agricultural producers to the great agro-
-industrial integrational unit. In developing its character as a self-managing enterprise,
the co-operative may become a factor of the real integration of private
smallholders with the system of socialist economic operation. In fact, the problem
which theory should deal with more thoroughly is how to ensure that group enterprises
of associated private farmers evolve from the co-operative form to the self-
-managing form of economic organization.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
119436
URI
Datum izdavanja:
6.12.1971.
Posjeta: 696 *