devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Building blocks for farmer-led business development - Scoping missions and company assessments Services and accompaniment to be delivered by Agriterra's agribusiness team are envisaged mainly in the phase of business planning, the improvement of the financial management, match-making with investors and financial institutions, backstopping and technical support and in the monitoring of progress, once the business is established. For the advisory services Agriterra will tap mainly from the knowledge and expertise of the Dutch agricultural cooperatives and agribusiness. 

Potential clients for the team Agribusiness are those with the opportunity for developing a clear business case and the possibility to fund an increasing part of the business with investments or loans. The type of client is the business-oriented cooperatives or any other type of farmer-controlled companies with the following characteristics: (1) existing ventures, (2) coops with a fairly well established track record, (3) coops with ambitions to expand or innovate, (4) coops facing difficulties in mobilizing equity and debt in domestic market and (5) with 1000+ membership of small holder farmers. 

Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Peru, Colombia and Vietnam have been selected as focus countries for Agriterra's team Agribusiness. 80% of resources (financial and human) will be targeting farmer-led businesses in these countries. Following previous experiences the team opts for the following sub-areas: dairy, food crops & seeds, tourism and banking & insurance. Any specialization on a sector does not exclude activities, like in previous years, in any other sector. Yet, in all cases we will now demand a clear business case and the possibility to fund an increasing part of the business with investments or loans.

The underlying project aims to facilitate scoping missions as well as missions for company assessment in order to build up a client portfolio of farmer-led companies with good business potential and that are in demand of the services Agriterra is able to render.

In 2012  scoping missions are foreseen to identify new clients and to scope for new intervention opportunities. With support from local partners such as federations of cooperatives, SNV, financial institutions and investors, cooperatives and other type of farmer-led companies with good business potential will be shortlisted and visited by an Agriterra team. Once classified as  potential client a company assessment will take place in order to get an in-depth understanding of the company's performance. If the findings are positive an action plan and budget will be developed which should lead by the end of 2012 to a bankable and investment ready business plan. 

This is an internal project.

Plan de Negocios para Café Tostado y Molido
Learning trajectory on effective agricultural extension services Farmers cooperatives provide various services to their members, and this is also the request and need of members. However, to what extend are services effective and sustainable? What can we learn from best practises in order to support our clients better in setting up effective extension structures that will be financially sound and sustainable? In a learning trajectory initiated by KIT, Agriterra and various other organisations engaged in the agribusiness sector will actively contribute to  share experiences, explore best practises and identify the best strategies to overcome the current challenges as mentioned below. 
In their specific business formats the companies face important challenges in designing and implementing their extension or advisory services. Four challenges are common to many:
  
The challenge of the limited effectiveness of the extension and training work as evident by the lack of farmer response and adoption of new practices promoted.  
  How to put in place cost effective systems and mechanisms for mobilizing, communicating and analyzing key information back from farmers served, to learn and adapt company strategies where needed; including information on use of products, application of knowledge given, or technical changes as a result of this, e.g. in soil fertility, pest pressure.
  The sustainability of the extension type of services by the companies linked to the levels and ways for cost recovery of services provided.  
  Strategic positioning of the extension activities of the companies vis-à-vis others. How to best focus use of limited available resource? Issues around cooperation and coordination of services with others for complementarity and synergies.

The objectives of the learning trajectory would be threefold:
  
Identify, assess and understand key challenges faced by agri-businesses in providing effective and sustainable agricultural advisory services;
  Generate concrete areas and operational strategies for the improvement of such agricultural advisory services.
  Make main insights and general findings available for the wider agricultural development community;




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The objectives of the learning trajectory would be threefold:
  
Identify, assess and understand key challenges faced by agri-businesses in providing effective and sustainable agricultural advisory services;
  Generate concrete areas and operational strategies for the improvement of such agricultural advisory services.
  Make main insights and general findings available for the wider agricultural development community;

Agriterra can specifically use this learning trajectory to :
- share best practises of farmer cooperatives
- improve its advisory services to support clients in making their extension services more effective and efficient, by developing one or several models and sharing the best practises (for example by improving its current product: workshop sustainable services )

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Achieving advocacy results in 10 Vietnamese provinces: Piloting FACT This project is aimed at improving and systematizing the lobby and advocacy capacities of 40 staff and leaders from 10 provinces by piloting the FACT tool of Agriterra in the year 2015. This is in line with the conducted workshop in December 2014 when the first FACT (Farmer Advocacy Consultation Tool) workshop took place in Hanoi, Vietnam. Furthermore, the proposal aims at setting a more clear lobby-agenda for 10 provinces and VNFU leaders and staff.

Also three consecutive workshops will be organised by Agriterra and VNFU in August or September 2015 to discuss the lessons-learnt of using FACT, train new Trainers in rolling out FACT in their provinces, and discuss, share and improve the lobby agendas for the next year(s) between the 10 provinces.

VNFU considers one of its main goals the monitoring of the existing guidelines, policies, and laws related to agriculture, farmers, rural areas. And to see if these are well and correctly implemented, and to work out proposals to amend existing legislation by participating in lobby and advocacy to make sure policies and laws are close to the reality and aspirations of farmers, members of VNFU. 

This should lead to creating favourable conditions for farmers to develop production, business and improve their life. 

With this project VNFU is trying to improve their lobby capacities by:
1. using FACT in 10 provinces in a pilot, 
2. organising a FACT workshop to share lessons learnt
3. Train FACT-trainers to spread the use of FACT. To systematize lobbying and advocacy on all levels within VNFU (FACT).
4.	Sharpening the lobby agenda and priorities for the future by organising an agenda-setting workshop.

The project will focus on the 10 provinces of which 40 staff and leaders were trained during the preparatory workshop in December 2014 by Agriterra. The target groups are farmers who will be consulted about their needs during the pilot phase, and VNFU staff and leaders, especially the ones at sub-national level (grass-root, district, provincial level) who are directly involved in policy advocacy. 

They will be reached in the pilot phase by the 40 VNFU staff and leaders who are carrying out the pilot of the FACT workshop of December 2014. Also the project will provide platforms for all stakeholders on sub-national level to share the mutual understanding of FACT, and the real needs of farmers. 

The project will seek for the technical support and advise from Agriterra and other capable agencies during the implementation of the project. By the end of the project, the obtained knowledge and experiences will stay in VNFU and expanded by VNFU staffs and leaders.

Goal is to improve the advocacy capacities of staff and leaders from 10 Vietnamese provinces in the year 2015
Improving financial management and services to members LDMPCUL is a Union of primary Dairy cooperatives in Lalitpur district. After the organisational assesment in March 2016, the organisation is accepted as a potential client of Agriterra. The BHAG of the organisation is to have its own, succesfull processing factory. This is a long term dream and there are several steps to be taken before that.

The mission team recommends to focus the proposed cooperation on: - Identifying and framing the future direction of the federation based on few very clear strategic objectives and goals, by preparing a strategic plan- Organisational strengthening of the union and its member cooperatives in terms of planning and control; financial management and governance. - Improved and financially sustainable services for the members in order to be well prepared for the next (long term) step: starting a processing factory. Access to funds is not the main challenge, but rather to upgrade the milk production, member commitment and strong governance; and improved managerial and financial management skills.



Concrete proposed joint activities for the second half of 2016 are:1. Participation in the financial management training organised by Agriterra (August 2016)2. Prepare an action plan in this workshop and execute this plan, with the aim to further improve the financial management of the union but also to role out the knowledge to primary coops. 3. Prepare a strategic (3-5 years) and 1 year operational plan of the Union, with the option to work out the details of providing (financially) sustainable services to member. This is a process and requires the active input of Board and staff members, and validation with the members.4. Based on the strategic plan, a concrete action plan can be prepared for cooperation with Agriterra.

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Goal for 2016: 

- improve financial management of LDMPCU - SMART strategic business plan for coming 2 years available in September 2016 and approved by BoD in October 2016- Strengthen LDMPCUL and primary cooperatives capacity in managing agricultural cooperatives- Sustainable services system aiming at improved production in place to be made operational in 2017
Backstopping the establishment of chickpea processing factory Bacho Woliso farmer Cooperative Unions established in 2000.  The unions were founded with establishing capital of 140,000.00 ETB and generated from 10 primary cooperative societies, which hold 11,599 farmers. The union is one of the pioneer farmers’ cooperative unions in Ethiopia. The Union has been established in South-West Shewa Zone Oromia regional state, specific town called Tulubolo. Currently, the union capital grows to 120 million ETB and member cooperatives are increasing to 84 PCs. The union providing different services to the members such as; supply of agricultural inputs, output marketing, transportation services, value adding to agricultural outputs and social services. Besides, the union has also proved in the effectiveness of internal capitalization and able to mobilized 22 million ETB for cheakpea food complex establishment.

July: Pear to pear experience sharing with local  chickpea processing factory Aug: Training on extension of cooperative, planning, financial management and accounting for 5 days Aug: Strategic Financial Management trainingSept: Re-boosting internal capitalization campaign session with Regional, Zonal and District CPA, government administration and PCs representative for establishing Chickpea processing plant Sept: Share distribution and IC raising awareness ceremony: praising members that bought a share and informing other members to buy a share Sept: Cost accounting (process costing) for PP mat, PP bag and fertilizer blending to identify the income and cost of each factories separately. 

The main goal for 2017 AP will focused on the following activity: 
Re-boosting internal capitalization campaign for establishing Chickpea processing plant
  Improving the data management system of the union  
  Capacitating 3 primary cooperative to optimize the service provision to their members
Defining business strategy and improving financial sustainability Established on 2014, Baixing Cooperative is relatively young and on her startup phase. Due to the strong entrepreneurial mindset of board (also served as management), BC has a strong vision on business development. The actions of board are mainly on production and sales activities. It is understandable in the life-cycle of the cooperative. For the time being, the cash is king. Improving financial output and gaining more cash is of great importance, not only to the further development of the cooperative, but also to consolidate the trust from members as the owners of the cooperative. 
Therefore, it is expected to make the cooperative bankable and learn the management how to make a sound business plan for future and improve financial transparency for the trust of members through various advising mission and training. 

Project background: To gain social-economic impact by strengthening the share based membership, which is very rare in the local region and improving the income of smallholder farmers.Project objective: To support the young cooperative in defining her vision and business strategy, improving the organisation's financial sustainability. Funding: Jointly funded by Agriterra, local government and cooperative.Evaluation: The main KPIs are member shares increase, dividend rise per share, youth participation in the cooperative management, strategic and business plan in place.Cost efficiency: Apply cost-benefit analysis after the project period. Regular follow-up about the progress made by national Business Adviser. 


The goals of this project are summarized as following: 
Assessing the feasibility of building an agricultural demonstration base, supported by government funds.Defining business strategy and assist on how to make a sound business plan.Support in introducing filed-related technology from Dutch sector where there is a fit. Strengthening financial management capacity, including cash flow management, budgeting, financial transparency, etc.
Developing internal cooperative and demonstration farm Bayongbong is established in 1973 and started working in the dairy farming in 1981. Currently there are 2,000 members. The main activity of the cooperative is the collection of fresh milk and the transport to the Frisian Flag factory in Jakarta. Other activities are credit facilities for members, a feed mill unit, and a small shop.During 2014 and 2015 Bayongbong has received support from Agriterra in developing of the feed and improving the (un)fertile animals, which were regarded as the main problems. Also the organisation received support in developing a strategic plan as well as training extension workers. Unfortunately the cooperative has to cope with many external and internal problems. This made it difficult to focus on the day-to-day management. As result not much follow-up of the missions was given and changes stayed behind of expectations. For this reason it is decided to put the support on hold so the cooperative can first focus on the information and support provided before. Still the colonial farm Olan will receive an intern which will support the cooperative to develop regulations and agreements with the farmers who make use of the upgraded shed. Also one of the extension workers will attend a training on adult learning communication.

As KUD Bayongbong will focus the coming period on the recommendations received in 2015, the action plan will be limited to a few activities: 1) an intern who will support the cooperative in developing regulations and agreements with the farmers who use the upgraded Olan farm. 2) one extension worker will attend an adult learning communication training 3) a delegation of Bayonbong will participate in a new regulation and tax workshop in Jakarta4) The board of Bayongbong will participate in the Coop Governance Training in Bogor

1) Agreement between cooperative and farmers about the use of the farm Olan2) Good working relation between the farmers and sustainable continuation of the farm3) Improved skills in communication of information to adults
Investing in sustainable supply of milk (phase 2) The new action plan for remaining months of 2014 is based on activities not realised in 2013 and the recommendations of the Agrifirm mission by Liesbeth Mulders and Frank Jeurissen and mission on internal governance by Nils den Besten and Helène Roele.

There are three main objectives: 
Increase milk intake to 27,000 kg 
Improve internal governance
Have a clear vision on future business joint by all primary cooperatives.

There are activities on extension and demo farms, but also activities to improve the communication with primary cooperatives as recommended in mission report by Nils and Helène.

Increase milk intake to 27,000 kg
Improve internal governance
Have a clear vision on future business joint by all primary cooperatives
Improved human capabilities and governance leading to growth The members have a total of 311 ha arable land. The 1370 members have a total of 311 ha arable land. The main crops that the members produce are rice seed (265 ha), next to this they grow vegetables (14 ha) and other (32ha). 800 members of the Hoa Tien cooperative (in Da Nang Province) produce rice seed. 
The cooperative is intensive involved in the production cycle of rice seeds, and not too much in the consumption rice. 200 farmers grow vegetables and are organized as a separate group in the cooperative. 
Across Hoa Tien, vegetables are cultivated on 30 hectares: mostly cucumber, bitter melon and Waky pumpkin, as well as amaranth, spinach, Malabar Nightshade and Loofah. 200 farmers are organized in a vegetable farmers group, where they grow the vegetables on 13,7 ha. 
Action Plan 2016:
1. Making a value chain analysis for rice seeds and vegetables.2. My.Coop training3. Financial management training and acquire human resources

Action plan 2018: 
Taking recommendations from the value chain analysis, the action plan will focus on improving and increasing production. Main activities are:
1. Training on farming technique 
2. Piloting new seed variety 
3. Exchange visit to an area with success in planting the mentioned new seed variety Action Plan 2016:
1. Making a value chain analysis for rice seeds and vegetables.2. My.Coop training3. Financial management training and acquire human resources

Hoa Tien has to invest in its human resources and build upon their rice seed business.
Establishing farmer-led niger seed oil refinery Admas is established in 2003 as a cooperative Union with 7 legally registered primary cooperatives and started its actual work in 2004 as a multipurpose cooperative Union. Currently ADMAS has 55 member cooperatives.

The main tasks of the Union are:
1) Importing fertilizers and distributing to primary cooperatives members on credit basis.
2) Purchasing of Agricultural products (mainly grains) at reasonable price from member farmers.
3) Agricultural inputs supply services.

Admas Famers Cooperative Union works with Agriterra for the past four years on the capacity building of the union, boosting the production of oilseeds mainly niger seed and linseed and implementation of a semi-refinery plant. The production techniques of the farmers were rather traditional and farmers regard niger seed as a rotation crop not as a cash crop. The productivity was very small not more than 3 – 6 quintals (0.3- 0.6 tons) per hectare. Due to intensive training the productivity increased to 9 quintal/hectare (.9 tons) per hectare. 

Admas farmers’ cooperative union (Wolkite town) aims to establish a semi refinery Niger seed oil business on behalf of its cooperative members. Key product is Niger seed oil, which local consumers use for cooking and baking. Next to the consumer oil, the by-product oilcake has a sound commercial value as animal feed for cattle and chickens. The oil will be bottled, branded, packed in a carton and will be marketed to the domestic market. The by-product, oil cake, will be sold locally as animal feed. 

The current business plan has been presented to various local banks and international investors. Though interest is there, local banks stress the importance of enhancing Admas own equity position. Therefor Admas decided to issue new shares. In order to raise awareness of this new farmer-led business, Admas has started a large awareness campaign among its members and important governmental stakeholders.

Admas farmers’ cooperative union (Wolkite town) will establish a semi refinery Niger seed oil business on behalf of its cooperative members. Key product is Niger seed oil, which local consumers use for cooking and baking. Next to the consumer oil, the by-product oilcake has a sound commercial value as animal feed for cattle and chickens. The internal capitalization has started promising (2.3 million ETB gathered) and Admas has set an example in the country when it comes to building up own equity. However, still there is a need for an additional 4 million ETB. The board, management, farmers and government all state to be positive that this can be achieved in three months time. Meanwhile Admas needs to approach banks stiffly, parallel to the internal capitalization process.

The key objectives of this action plan are:
- Raise 4 million ETB
- Bank loan mobilized – 20 million ETB
- Optimize the niger seed supply chain and strengthen 5-7 PCS
- Developing a sound branding strategy