MojNews- Hossein Shirzad who is also the chairman of the Board of the Directors of the Central Organization of the Rural Cooperatives of Iran (CORC), said organizing the cropping procedures, good agriculture practice and applying modern agro-technologies through development of the farmers&#۳۹; organization constitute the existential philosophy of the CORC.

"The ultimate goal of CORC is to facilitate the sustainable and integrated development of rural areas and agriculture cooperatives. CORC is realizing the above-mentioned goal through development of the rural and agricultural cooperatives or other forms of the Farmers&#۳۹; organizations as well as enhancing the efficiency of the existing cooperatives. Procurement of agricultural inputs and machinery, production, purchasing, collecting, packing, processing and marketing of the crops accompanied by the social empowerment of the farmers are the main activities of the CORC.", the official said.

Explaining the legal background of the CORC, Shirzad implied  that according to the Act of the Rural Cooperative Societies , enacted in ۱۹۷۲, a cooperative is developed through joining the natural and legal entities together to the end of meeting the common needs and improving the social and economic welfare by self-help and mutual aid. Meanwhile, he went on , according to the Article ۷۳ of the above-mentioned Act and the Statutes of the Rural and agricultural cooperatives, farmers,  sericulture farmers, apiculture farmers, and rural craftsmen develop a cooperative to meet the common and personal needs including  purchasing staple goods ,procurement of the professional facilities including fodder, poultry feed , agricultural machiney and transportation facilities ,accommodation , drinking and agricultural water  for common exploitation.

"Based on the Act of the Rural Cooperative Societies, enacted in ۱۹۷۲, there have been developed ۲۷۸۰ rural cooperatives by now.  About ۴.۶ million of farmers by membership in these cooperatives are enjoying their services.

The rural and agricultural cooperatives with their relevant unions, as the executive arms of the agricultural sector, are providing different services in the field of the agriculture value chain", he added.

Describing the hierarchical structure of the rural and agricultural cooperatives, he said that Central Union of the Rural Production Cooperatives (CURPC) has ۳۰ provincial unions with ۶۸۳ members.

Elaborating the structural data of the specialized cooperatives, the official referred to the egg-laying chicken agro-cooperatives &unions, he mentioned that this union has ۱۷ members as the provincial members while the individual members of these cooperatives throughout the country amount ۱۱۸۴ farmers. Meanwhile, the central union of the broiler chicken agro-cooperative with ۲۷ provincial unions provides service to ۲۱۹۴۶ poultry farmers organized in ۲۷۰ agro cooperatives nationwide.

Central Union of Iran Animal Farmers (CUIFA) has three members including ۳۱ provincial unions and ۴۷۶ livestock agro-cooperatives at the county level.

The total memberships of these cooperatives at the primary level are ۴۶۷,۳۱۷ animal farmers throughout the country", he added. Also, he said the Iran Zamin Apiculture union with ۳۶ unions at the provincial level provides service for more than ۶۵۰۰۰ members nationwide.

Implying the statistical data of the specialized national agro-unions including horticulture union, fishery union, cotton and breeding union and light cattle union and   tea farmers union Shirzad said that CORC has more than ۱۸۲۵ rural consumer shops  and ۲۴۸ milk collecting centers.

" The capacity of the cold storages and Silages of the CORC amount ۶۰,۰۰۰ tones and ۹۰,۰۰۰ tons respectively. Meanwhile, this organization has ۲۸ sorting units, ۴۱ food processing factory and ۶۸ agro-factories which facilitate to improve the welfare of farmers through complementation of the agricultural value chain ." he added.