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The objective of the study is to analyze the members´ participation visa vise performances of MPCSs in agricultural marketing in Eastern Tigray Zone. Therefore, two districts and seven MPCSs were selected at random from the study areas for this purpose. A total of 162 member respondents data were considered for analysis. A number of variables were used to analyze the determinant factors in members´ participation to improve performance of cooperatives. Accordingly, despite the cooperatives under investigation are functioning in food grain distribution, input and credit provision, the financial ratio analysis result showed that their performance were below the desirable level. The econometric model analysis result also reveals that probability of participation appeared to be significantly influenced by various demographic, farming, institutional and cooperatives characters. Hence the Government, NGOs and other stakeholders need to give emphasis on improving the organizational and institutional capacity of cooperatives towards enhancing their performance.

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Jemal Mahmud Alemayehu is a Graduate of Mekelle University M Sc in Cooperative Marketing in Ethiopia. He also pursued a Bachelor of Science in Mekelle University in Dry-land Agriculture/Crop Science. Currently, he is working in the Federal Cooperatives Agency as Food Security Technical Coordinator.

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