Working towards becoming a bankable business

Wino Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (WAMCS) is a primary society established in 1993, as the commercial organisation of WIDA, a Swedish-supported NGO, created in 1990. A SACCO was also created parallel. The Swedes left in 2006, creating a huge challenge of doing things without donor money. Of the 1100 members, some 500 subsistence farmers are dormant members, as one cannot leave the coop voluntarily. 400 farmers contribute to the economic activity of the WAMCS: All of these 400 members grow maize and beans, while 200 of them also grow coffee. The coffee is mainly practiced by the older members, as no youth seems to be interested. Regarding beans and maize, due to lack of customers and price volatility, there have been years in which the organisation has not commercialised these products. Credit is more difficult to obtain with stricter rules handled by its 'sister organisation', the Wino SACCO. However, the National Food Reserve Authority is buying maize again, and the organisation has a refurbished warehouse, which is almost paid off, thus increasing their assets on the balance sheet. They also have ambitions to add value to the maize by milling it and marketing the maize flour. The company has its financial records in order and seems to be motivated to make a turn for the better regarding the involvement of youth in coffee and to implement its business plan for the milling and marketing of maize. Agriterra support this organisation in its efforts to: 1. Improve the organisation's orientation (writing of a strategic / operational plan); 2. Improve the marketing of maize and beans, including value addition of maize (feasibility study); 3. Improve youth participation (survey to identify needs and setting up youth committees); 4. Improve the supply of affordable, non-poisonous but effective inputs (organic inputs training); In a year's time it should become clear if this organisation is a good candidate for a permanent place within Agriterra's team 1 portfolio.