Abstract

The objective of this paper was to study the productive situation of a producers' cooperative of small animals. This paper is based on the experience of partaking in the management of a cooperative of small-scale livestock producers that created an opportunity for scientific learning for the students of zootechnics at the Alagoas State University-UNEAL. The results of this study revealed that through exposure to the production culture of every business unit in the cooperative, the students confronted a range of economic and administrative aspects, a valuable addition to the educational process for the students involved. They faced the challenge of giving concrete answers to the needs of the community under their management, both individuals and as a collective, in this way cooperating with small-scale livestock producers. Furthermore, the process of performing diagnostics during university extension courses in collaboration with the members of the cooperative led to an understanding of the real information technology needs of the producers and the knowledge of the real challenges of managing and planning. It is concluded that instating programmes of collaboration in the areas of management and planning between Universities and Cooperatives can significantly promote the goal of regional development.

Key words: Cooperation, education, management, production diagnostics.