Spatial Pattern in Performance of Agricultural Cooperatives in Korea

This paper examines spatial pattern in the performance of 1132 primary agricultural cooperatives in Korea during the year 2000. Multiple indicators including profits were used to measure the performance across 10 provinces, 4 locations (rural and urban) and 3 development types. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to disaggregate the total variation of the dependent variables (performance indicators). Results indicate perceptible spatial variation in performance of cooperatives. Metro cities as a group among provinces and urban-big areas among locations showed superior performance compared to all other categories. The paper concludes that increasing the size of the market for cooperatives products is an important strategy to enhance performance of those lagging behind.