News

From savings to food security

Written by Rebecca Agelle, Cooperative Advisor Ghana

In the vibrant community of Janga, in the Northeast region of Ghana, 34-year-old Rahinatu, a mother of six and a dedicated member of the Magsunsim Shea cooperative, has transformed her family's life through the power of savings and entrepreneurship.

Construction of Diffused Light Storage for Potato Seed

Written by Dita Beshada, Junior Cooperative Advisor Ethiopia

Bitacha and Gurmicho Multipurpose Primary Cooperatives (BMPC and GMPC) are in Kofele district, the West Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region in the Southern part of Ethiopia. These cooperatives are members of Raya Kejewa Union. 

Nyala Dairy Cooperative's Journey to Processing

By Elisha Kemboi, Cooperative Advisor, Acting Now Project

Established in 2002, the Nyala Dairy Multi-purpose Co-operative (NDMC) has been a driving force in the Nyandarua and Laikipia dairy sector in Kenya. With the support of Agriterra, NDMC embarked on an ambitious journey to increase milk production and diversify its product offerings. 

Youth as the salvation for cooperatives

Cooperatives worldwide are ageing, and the number of young farmers is decreasing. This poses a threat to the future of agriculture and food security. It is therefore crucial that cooperatives involve young people, as they bring fresh ideas and new ways of working. To stimulate youth participation, Agriterra has developed the 'Youth in Agribusiness' programme, which begins with a Kick-off workshop.

SACCOs enhancing women entrepreneurs (part 1)

Agriterra has been working closely with two SACCOs in Rwanda under the Farmer Focused Transformation (FFT) programme. These SACCOs - CPF Ineza and SACCO Impamba - have provided crucial support to women entrepreneurs in the Southern Province. With a budget allocated to 80 women’s projects across these two SACCOs, Agriterra aimed to empower women by offering lower-interest loans, promoting entrepreneurship and providing training on agribusiness finance. Additionally, these efforts included designing financial products tailored for women in agribusiness, which has significantly impacted the beneficiaries.

Supporting women farmers in Rwanda

COAMANYA is a cooperative located in Kibirizi sector, Nyanza district, Rwanda. It is engaged in the production, collection, marketing and processing of maize as their main business activities. Initially formed as a farmer group in 2007, the cooperative was officially certified by the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA) in 2011. The cooperative is composed by 1382 members, including 707 females.  

A Triumph of Persistence

Written by Elizabeth Gezahegn, Cooperative Advisor Ethiopia

Chercher Oda Bultum Union Secures 16 Hectares of Free Land for Dairy Expansion!

In the heart of Ethiopia, the Chercher Oda Bultum Farmers Cooperative Union has been a beacon of progress since its inception in 2005. Starting with just 62 primary cooperatives, the union has grown into a robust organisation with 178 member cooperatives representing over 74,257 families. What began with a modest capital of 714,000 birr has now blossomed into an entity with a capital base of 150 million birr.

Strengthening smallholder farmers' resilience through cooperative efforts’