Realizing the wheat flour mill investment and starting of haricot bean export marketing Uta Wayo farmers’ cooperative union has enormous potential for wheat, maize, haricot bean and malt barley production. Among other crops there is high potential for wheat production since the union is located in a wheat belt. Therefore feasibility study for investing in a wheat flour mill factory has been conducted in 2014 with the support of Agriterra. The study showed that engaging into wheat processing business is feasible. In addition, the union management and board members shared the experiences of Merkeb union wheat processing activity and they have better convinced about the profitability of this investment venture. As the study also confirmed, there is high demand for wheat flour in the market. Therefore, the union will fully launch the flour mill investment this year. The wheat mill equipment’s and machineries is already selected before three month ago and the shipment is already started, hopefully the union will finalized the lunching of its factor up to the coming October. The union has been showing a rapid growth and development in the past years in its capital, membership, output marketing volume and fixed asset investment. The union capital in 2004 was 172,000 Birr, but now it has a capital of 28,609,977 birr, the union membership in 2004 was 7,534 small holder farmers but is now a days it has reached to 50,214 farmers. The union mainly purchases wheat, maize, malt barley and haricot beans. In 2015 the union has purchased 30,000 quintal maize, 20,000 haricot beans, 20,000 malt barley and 4700 wheat. Moreover, this year the union has been investing a lot amount of money in fixed asset investment: for warehouse ( 60, 000 quintal holding capacity) construction 7 million, for wheat factor building 4.2 million birr, for purchasing wheat flour factor 12 million birr paid and for seed cleaning machine purchasing and constructing a house for it 2 million birr.

In response to the 2014 and 2015 action plans the following accomplishment achieved: the union has improved its financial management practices by using Peachtree software, started professionalizing the PC’s management and leadership by hiring PC managers, have a five year strategic plan, feasibility study has been conducted for investing in a wheat flour mill factory, the union management and board members shared the experiences from best preforming union from Amhara region. In addition, website develop for marketing and bradding purpose, strategic plan review, evaluation and adopting session between the union, it’s PCs and key stakeholders has been organized and common understanding has been created between union and PC to work through a strategic plan. Furthermore, financial management training has been provided for the unions leaders, awareness created on internal capitalization and planned to collect 6 million birr, GAP training with very much focused on full package particularly on proper Pesticide has been provided to member farmers and improving farmers agronomic practice started. In the 2016 AP, the union would like launch its flour mill investment, plan to get export licenses and start exporting haricot bean to international market, professionalizing the PCs management and leadership practice will be continued. Moreover, more effort will be exerted to promote and branding the union products, strengthening women PC BoD members’ leadership capacity, start departmental cost allocation methods and optimizing the wheat value chain by improving the farmers’ agronomic knowledge. More specifically the 2016 AP will focus on:•  Supporting the union to establishing the wheat flour milling factory•  Mobilize 8 million birr equity capital from members•  Professionalizing the union and PCs management practice•  Strengthening women PC BoD members’ leadership capacity •  Improving the farmer agronomic knowledge and increasing the farmers access to improved seed•  Starting expert marketing of haricot beans•  Output marketing of 60,000 quintal wheat, 25,000 quintal haricot bean, 40,000 malt barley and 40, 000 maize



Ethiopia, Oromia regional state, West Arsi Zone, Shahsemene town

•  Supporting the union to establishing the wheat flour milling factory•  Mobilize 8 million birr equity capital from members•  Professionalizing the union and PCs management practice•  Strengthening women PC BoD members’ leadership capacity •  Improving the farmer agronomic knowledge and increasing the farmers access to improved seed•  Starting expert marketing of haricot beans•  Output marketing of 60,000 quintal wheat, 25,000 quintal haricot bean, 40,000 malt barley and 40, 000 maize