A brief Introduction to CORC

Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives (CORC) of Iran was founded in1963 as a governmental joint stock company with unlimited liability (22.8% shares of government and 77.2 % shares of rural and agriculture cooperatives).

The Articles of Association was approved by the commissions of the former two houses of parliament in 1969 and met the statutory requirements and the Cabinet of Ministers was assigned for its implementing.

According to the Articles of Association, CORC is committed to rural development in agriculture sector by means of cooperative societies.

Goal

Providing due facilities for progression, extension and strengthening of economic status, as well as promotion of marketing, trade and services of cooperatives in nationwide villages. To fulfill the goal, CORC adopted the following strategies by employing available facilities and man powers:

- Stocking of key staples followed by strengthening and completion of supply and value chains

- Supporting production trend in agriculture sector

- Boosting self-sufficiency in agro products

- Promoting safe and organic production

- Expanding processing plants for agro crops

- Regulating and reforming agricultural markets via agribusiness involvement

- Supporting and reinforcing ITC means in production and marketing stages

- Upgrading water management in agriculture

- Intensifying supportive, guidance and supervision policies

Consolidation and renovation of agricultural lands

Supplying agro inputs needed by practitioners preferably from local sources

Development and rehabilitation of agro machinery fleet

Vision and Mission of the CORC

1. Network empowerment.

2. Providing and distributing inputs.

3. Trading and marketing of agriculture products.

4. Diversification of internal economic activities of network.

5. Establishment and development of infrastructural facilities of network.

Legal Capacities of CORC

The 20-Year Vision Deed

A: The most important goals of “The 20- Year Vision Deed” foreseen in agriculture sector

* National and areal capabilities, capacities and advantages of agriculture sector.

* Wide reliance of all economic sectors (industry, trade and ...) on agriculture.

* The pivotal impacts of cooperatives on food security enhancement which in turn, plays a strategic role in national independence.

B: The Fifth 5 - Year National Development Plan of the I. R. of Iran

* Articles 77 & 124 of the Fifth 5 - Year Development Plan law laid down for boosting and organizing the private and cooperative sectors.

* Article 140, Para. B and Article 141, Para. A of the Fifth 5-Year Plan law which do focus on Farming Systems.

* Article 144 of the Fifth 5-Year Development Plan law and its significance stress on preservation of agricultural crops.

* Articles 194 & 217 of the Fifth 5-Year Development Plan law where emphasizes on rural/agricultural development.

C: Other Legal Tools including governmental rules & regulations emphasizing on progressive codes and conducts for enhancement of rural/agricultural cooperatives.

Extensive Network of rural and agricultural cooperatives

The existing Network comprises of 11 central unions and their 7000 coops involved in various fields including production, trade, Credits and technical services, etc with 50 years of experience dispersed over 58000 rural points in Iran. The Network and its substantive place in forwarding needed assistance and know-how to target clients posing 5 million members (over 20 million populations), play a critical role in rural/agricultural development process.

Advantages of Cooperatives’ Network

1. Appropriate Articles of Association for conducting the affairs of rural and agricultural development.

2. Appropriate legal and institutional organization settings (vertical and horizontal).

3. Appropriate diversity and dispersion of cooperatives societies and unions in rural and urban areas nationwide.

4. Reliable capacity for undertaking governmental administrative affairs

5. Appropriate capacity for supplying, provision and distribution of agricultural inputs and machineries.

6. Viable background for commercial and trade transaction

7. Possible chance for aggregating financial resources of the network and members for establishing credit institutions

8. Enjoying the updated software system (IT) for undertaking financial activities in the network

Governing duties:

The governing duties of CORC across the Network of rural and agricultural cooperatives are divided into four domains:

A. Policy-making:

* Organizing, coordinating, qualifying and leveraging of specialized skill, financial, operational, service and managerial capabilities benefiting rural and agricultural coops.

B. Guidance:

* Training the cooperative principles and administration of rural and agricultural societies and unions.

* Extension of the culture of cooperatives for qualitative and quantitative development of cooperatives.

* Training and educating the human resources of CORC and cooperatives.

* Forwarding cultural services to members, staff and managers of cooperatives.

C. Supporting:

* Providing legal, technical, specialized, financial, credit and marketing services for agricultural cooperatives, plus research and development, defending intellectual and property rights for rural and agricultural coops at national, provincial and district levels.

D. Supervision:

* Continuous auditing and supervision of coops/unions at national, provincial and district scales.

Administrative Duties of CORC entrusted to the Cooperatives’ Network:

1. Supplying and distributing agricultural inputs e.g., fertilizer, seeds, toxins, saplings and machineries.

2. Purchasing, collecting, stocking and selling of agricultural crops as well as other commodities produced by rural and agricultural cooperatives and unions.

3. Building preservation facilities (warehouses, cold storages and …), processing plants and holding trade fairs for agricultural products.

4. Rendering general and miscellaneous services for cooperatives and unions (pension fund, stationary/moving repair shops, credit units, providing and implementing promotional projects, creating transportation system and …).

5. Providing, producing, distributing and selling staples for rural and farmers.

6. Forwarding technical services to production projects.

7. Establishing infrastructural facilities and administrative buildings for coops and unions.

Status quo of the Network:

1. 2853 rural cooperatives, 331 unions in districts and provinces with 4354360 members.

2. 1997 agriculture coops, 102 unions in districts and provinces with 1027574 members.

3. 324 rural women cooperatives with 63383 members.

4. 1336 production coops, 59 unions in districts and provinces bearing 371664 members.

5. 12 national unions, 492 unions in districts and provinces and 6510 cooperative societies.

6. 29 registered agricultural joint stock companies.

7. 387 District Agricultural Guild Systems and 32 Provincial Agricultural Guild Systems.

8. 355,000 members of Agricultural Guild System plus 160,000 certificates issued for Agricultural Guild activities.

9. 320 councils of agricultural elites in districts and 32 councils in provinces.

10. 241 coordination and supporting councils in districts plus 29 councils in provinces.

11. 1403 specialized agricultural societies and organizations.

Capacities and facilities of Network:

NO	Title	Number/Amount
1	Consumer Shops and Gas Stores	22012
2	Pavilions for Agriculture Crops	4000
3	Fertilizers and Toxin Shops	3579
4	Shopping Centers and Input Supplying Centers	5178
5	Capacity of Warehouses (Multifunction and Mechanized)*1000 Tones	2625
6	Processing Plants	251
7	Milk Collection Centers for Rural and Agricultural Coops	452
8	Credit units	1300
9	Branches of Rural cooperative Fund	31
10	Consulting Service unit, plant pathology Clinic…	151