Analysis on performance and influencing factors of vegetable specialized cooperatives from perspective of farmers

Under the background of rapid development of farmers' specialized cooperatives in China, this article evaluated the performance and influencing factors by using the development practice of cooperatives in Yangling, Shaanxi province as an example. The performance evaluation index of farmers' specialized cooperatives was built and then the paths and correlation of its influencing factors were measured by using structural equation modelling from the perspective of farmers. The results showed that the cooperatives affected more on stabilizing price than on increasing income. The influencing factors of cooperatives' performance were as follow in descending order, farmers' personal features, producing characteristics, perceptive of cooperatives, product features and satisfaction on cooperatives, with the influencing path coefficients 0.505, 0.426, 0.403, 0.272 and 0.157, respectively. Among the observed variables, the factors which had big influence on the cooperatives' performance were the average educational level of cooperative members, the production scale of planting, loan percentage and famers' understanding and caring level on their cooperatives.