News
The successful merger of dairy cooperatives in Arsi Milk Shade
The BRIDGE+ project has successfully revamped dairy cooperatives in Arsi Milk Shade, Oromia, Ethiopia, by merging 22 small, inactive groups into three strong cooperatives. This consolidation tackles key issues like weak governance and poor financial management, fostering collaboration among dairy farmers and enhancing their bargaining power against illegal traders.
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Coffee of the survivors of Nyamukubi (part 1)
Written by Merveille Kakule Saliboko, communications consultant
In May 2023, the territory of Kalehe, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was hit hard by the natural disaster at Nyamukubi. The hardest hit was the Kalehe Arabica Coffee Cooperative, KACCO, which produces specialty arabica coffee and is supported by AGRITERRA as part of the TRIDE project, Transition for Inclusive Development in Eastern DRC. Thanks to the efforts of this project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, KACCO's member coffee growers are recovering from the horrors of the disaster, a year and a half on.
Coffee of the survivors of Nyamukubi (part 2)
Written by Merveille Kakule Saliboko, communications consultant
In May 2023, the territory of Kalehe, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was hit hard by the natural disaster at Nyamukubi. The hardest hit was the Kalehe Arabica Coffee Cooperative, KACCO, which produces specialty arabica coffee and is supported by AGRITERRA as part of the TRIDE project, Transition for Inclusive Development in Eastern DRC. Thanks to the efforts of this project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, KACCO's member coffee growers are recovering from the horrors of the disaster, a year and a half on.
Dutch Cooperative Model Inspires Indonesian Farmers
Indonesian farmers are taking bold steps toward greater control over their livelihoods, inspired by lessons from the Dutch cooperative model. With support from Agriterra, seven primary cooperatives in palm oil farming are working to establish the first farmer-owned palm oil mill in Indonesia. This move could revolutionise their role in the value chain, enabling them to process and sell palm oil directly instead of relying on middlemen. The potential benefits are clear: higher profits, stronger market positioning, and improved sustainability through better coordination, such as staggering plantation renewal to prevent income gaps.
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The successful merger of cooperatives
We like to share the remarkable success story of Mukaturi Primary Dairy Cooperative, which successfully merged with nine other cooperatives, each with limited capital. This merger is a powerful testament to how collaboration, strategic planning, and resource pooling can overcome significant financial disparities and create a more sustainable and prosperous cooperative entity.
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Climate-Smart Cereal Crops
Reviving Food Security in Drought-Stricken Lower Eastern Region-Kenya
Written by Esther Mwende Kalanza, Cooperative Advisor in Kenya
Farmers in Machakos and the entire lower eastern region, a semi-arid and arid region of Kenya, have continuously planted their traditional food crops at the onset of every long or short rains with the hope of good harvests to sustain them. However, in the recent past, they have continuously suffered major crop losses due to prevailing harsh climatic conditions leading to food and nutrition insecurity.
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The importance of collaboration and innovation
Written by Dita Beshada, Cooperative Advisor in Ethiopa
Wheat post-harvest losses significantly reduce both food quantity and quality, especially during long-term storage. Farmers face challenges due to high mechanisation costs, unaffordable for middle-class and poor farmers, and price instability caused by brokers.
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OACF mobilises capital for key development projects
With dedicated support from Agriterra, OACF has successfully mobilised €3.2 million through internal capitalisation for the establishment of a PP bag factory, a multipurpose building in Merkato, the expansion of the maize processing factory, and the completion of an under-construction warehouse.
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