International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM) ||Volume||06||Issue||04||Pages||AH-2018-73-80||2018|| Website: www.ijsrm.in ISSN (e): 2321-3418 Index Copernicus value (2015): 57.47, (2016):93.67, DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v6i4.ah03 Mr.Beyene Derso, IJSRM Volume 06 Issue 04 April 2018 [www.ijsrm.in] AH-2018-73 Factors affecting members’ participation in primary Dairy cooperatives in North Gondar zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia *Mr.Beyene Derso, ** Dr.Kavitha Nachimuthu, Lecturer, Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, college of Agriculture and Rural Transformation, University of Gondar, Ethiopia, Email: beyenederso@gmail.com. Associate professor, Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture and Rural Transformation, University of Gondar, Ethiopia, Email: nkavithamba@gmail.com. Abstract Dairy co-operatives can improve access to market information, reduce costs and price risks of marketing and can increase producers’ access to technology, extension and related services and enhance bargaining power of dairy producers. The overall objective of the society is to alleviate members’ milk marketing problem and increase their income generated from the milk and milk by products.. So, this paper will find out the solution for those problems. The major objective of this study is to identify factors affecting members Participation in primary cooperatives in north Gondar zone. North Gondar Administrative Zone and in the zone 8 districts and 11 primary dairy cooperatives were selected purposively and 114 sample respondents were selected by using simple random sampling methods. Both qualitative and quantitative data as well as primary and secondary data were used in the study.. The result of the study indicated that except access to transport, feed availability and proximity all discrete and continuous variables had a significant association with members’ participation of the dairy cooperatives. The binary logistic regression result of members’ participation also shows that from the hypothesized thirteen independent variables only six variables were found to be significantly influenced members’ participation of primary dairy cooperatives. As a recommendation, the concerned bodies, members and dairy cooperatives should give emphasis on factors like transport access, number of milking cows, price of raw milk, training access, patronage dividend and access of credit to increase members’ participation in GA meeting, decision making, el ection and economic activities of dairy cooperatives. Key words: members’ participation, democratic matters and Dairy Cooperative societies 1. Introduction Cooperatives are an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their economical, social and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprises (ICA, 1995). There are different types of cooperatives which are organized by the interest of members to provide different services for them. Among those, dairy cooperatives are the one which are primary or secondary level and they are democratic organization. The effectiveness of cooperative democracy depends on the participation of the members in the deliberation of the general body meeting and other aspects of management. Effective participation alone can ensure the vigilance, which is essential to create sense of responsibility among the board and personnel (Nakkiran, 2002 It could be argued that members securing satisfactory services from their cooperatives through effective participation in cooperative affairs on their own need a number of efforts in the years to come. For instance, the participation of members in the general assembly meeting is poor everywhere even in advanced countries the attendance and participation used to be very low (Nakkiran, 2002). Absenteeism of members in the general body meeting may lead to the loss of democratic character that may result in dominance of the vested interest (Vera kumara, 2005). The ancillary objectives dairy cooperatives include: Availing feed at reasonable price to members, Maximizing the income obtained from the livestock sub sector by promoting milk processing industries, and Offering pasteurized and high hygienic milk and milk by products to client consumers at reasonable prices (NGZCPO, 2013).