Supporting the union in the set up of a pasta and macaroni factory Lume Adama Farmers cooperative union was established as the first cooperative union in the country by four primary cooperatives with 3975 farmer members in Lume woreda of Eastern Shoa zone on 29th July 1997. The initial capital of the union was 150,000 birr. At present, the number of primary cooperatives under the union reached 64 cooperatives and its total member grow to 33,777 small holder farmers. The capital of the union has also reached more than 34 million. The Union’s areas of operation includes Lume,Adama , Bosat and Fantale Woreda of East Showa Zone, Oromia region. The union working area is widely known for its best quality Teff, Haricot bean, Chick pea, and Wheat production. The union has already acquired one wheat flour mill factory (360 quintal/day capacity) before three years ago. The union has further engaged in value additions and has been producing breads and sells to the local consumers which turn out much profitable than selling wheat flour stand alone. The union found producing and selling bread to the local consumer is a good business for the union. In 2016, the union also aspires to engage into further value addition activities and interested to process wheat flour into Past and Macaroni products.

C4C project has been working with the union since 2014; with the previous two action plans the union able to have a five year strategic plan, a human resource management policy manual, an organizational restructuring and salary adjustment manuals. In addition, the union started professionalizing the primary cooperatives by recruiting 15 accounts for primary cooperatives, a detailed feasibility study has been conduct for Pasta and Macaroni processing and a stakeholder validation workshop organized, the union started enhancing the primary cooperatives and the unions’ board members and staffs by providing different training, the union has participated in the financial management training, and enrolled in the Peach tree training trajectory and digitalized it accounting system. Moreover, the union board and management shared experience from best performing union in Amhara region unions (Merkeb, Tsehay and Ras Gayint), multi stakeholder platform discussion organized has been organized in order to strengthen the wheat supply chain, 11 none member PCs have become a member of the union, GAP training for 169 seed multiplying farmers has been given. Furthermore, export marketing training and coaching has been given to the union staffs and in order to boost the purchase capacity of primary cooperatives and the union, in two round training sessions 14 PCs board and purchase committee have been trained on purchasing and marketing strategy. However, there are some challenges that need still more improvement: the union’s output marketing performance was 64% in the previous year, this shows there is still gap in the union’s output performance. Even though the union have high potential for haricot bean and chickpea production, the unions collection and marketing effort on this crops is very limited and even the union not entered into export marketing activity. In addition, the wheat supply chain of the union is still weak and needs more improvements. Furthermore, there is limited improved seed production and luck of proper cooperative governance and leadership practices in the union. Therefore, the new action plan is geared towards backing the union to solve the above constraints. More specifically, the 2016 action plan will focus on: -  strengthening the leadership capacity of the union management and board members mobilizing 2.5 million birr from members Backstopping in the set ups of Pasta and Macaroni factory strengthening the wheat supply chain by improving the union and PCs relationship increasing the number of union members PCs by 20 this year improving the farmers agronomic and post-harvest management practice Starting export marketing of haricot bean and chickpea cropsOutput marketing of 30,000 quintal of wheat, 13,00 quintals of white and red haricot bean, 7000 quintals of chickpea , 2000quintals of lentil and 15,000 quintal of Teff

strengthening the leadership capacity of the union management and board members

 mobilizing 2.5 million birr from members Backstopping in the set ups of Pasta and Macaroni factory strengthening the wheat supply chain by improving the union and PCs relationship increasing the number of union members PCs by 20 this year improving the farmers agronomic and post-harvest management practice Starting export marketing of haricot bean and chickpea cropsOutput marketing of 30,000 quintal of wheat, 13,00 quintals of white and red haricot bean, 7000 quintals of chickpea , 2000quintals of lentil and 15,000 quintal of Teff