Improving the performance of member cooperatives and expanding the union's business portfolio. To deepen the support of Agriterra and amplify the unions performance, PC focused intervention is required. PCs have multifaceted challenges and shortcomings, that hinder their and the union's overall performances. Using an assessment tool, 11 PCs have been assessed to identify their main gaps. After the assessment result, a reflection workshop has been organized to discuss the findings and propose solutions. Based on the proposed solutions the following intervention is developed. To deliver the intervention, 3 capacity builders in different discipline will be recruited to spend most of their time coaching and capacitating the PCs.The 2015/16 market season was challenging for Dansha with the fall of international sesame price and difficulty of obtaining adequate working capital from banks. it is becoming inevitable for the union to expand its business unit and lessen the dependency on sesame which is highly volatile and beyond the realm of control. The union needs to examine & diversify into possible investment opportunities by developing strategic plan and feasibility studies. Dansha is based in a district, which might have good investment potential in sorghum, cotton and fattening. Owning a 5 year strategic plan and execution is part of this action plan.

The overall Objective is: - identify alternative sources of business investment/Agro-processing, - Capacitating 20 PCs, enable sourcing 2000 MT of sesame from capacitated PCs.   

Lume Adama union has already acquired one wheat flour mill factory (360 quintal/day capacity) before two 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. But this business has becoming a bit challenging to the union due to the perishability of the bread product and some management issues (quality controlling problem, distribution problem, etc.). Currently, the union also aspires to engage into further value addition activities and interested to process wheat flour into Past and Macaroni products. With Agriterra support a detailed feasibility study has been conduct for Pasta and Macaroni processing and a stakeholder validation workshop organized. The report has already shown engaging into past and Macaroni processing activity is a feasible business. The union general assembly have already decided to make the investment. As per the feasibility study, the planned will have a daily theoretical production capacity of 36 tons (360 quintals) per day. The project total investment cost is estimated to be ETB 52.03 million. The union is anticipating to finance 30% of the investment requirement from equity and the remaining 70% from bank loan. Currently, the union has requested a bank loan from one of the interested local financing banks. Thus, to realize the business ambition the union hired competent service provider that could advise the union to establish Pasta and Maccaroni processing plant.  Therefore the 2017 year action plan activities will focus on:
• Realizing the Pasta and Macaroni factory establishment• Strengthen the union management and board members’ leadership capacity• Mobilize 2.5 million birr internal capitalization for Pasta and Marconi factor investment• Strengthen the relationship between the union and PCs• Improving the financial management practice of the union• Bradding and marketing the union products