Strengthening the output marketing performance and internal capitalization process

Dansha FCU has had a good performing 2014 season considering the ECX sales. The union has bought an amount of approximately 15,000 quintals from primary member cooperatives and sold approximately 7000 quintals through the ECX. In the previous action plan the union key staff and board members have traveled to Admas and Bacho Weliso union to gain the experience of raising own capital and to exhibit the efforts of unions in creating better sense of ownership for their primary cooperatives/member farmers. After the exposure visit, which will also extend to the GOV staff for further support, it is deemed necessary, and is the right time to implement the internal capitalization scheme at Dansha. This will be conducted in liaison with stakeholder from GOV Admin at different levels, RBoARD (Regional Bureau of agriculture and rural development), and CPA (Cooperative Promotion Agency) at different levels. Dansha like its counterpart Setit Union has suffered from a late released loan from CBE exacerbating weak competition and purchase of sesame during peak season, thus, initiating an activity in solving finance is given priority. For the aboove reason, the union currently has stocked more than 4000 quintals bought at a relatively high price. It is time for Dansha union to start implementing internal capitalisation if the vision of creating a self-sufficient union is to come true in the near future. The 2015 action plan is designed for this major objective. Previously Dansha has also been limited to selling to the ECX market only, and have not been able to export. To broaden market choice, activities related to export market, such as strengthen the unions capacity to export is the second major objective of this action plan. The desired objective will be: Raising own capital of 3.6 million (for the first year), and export 570 MT of Sesame.