devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Tools & product development Within Agriterra, product development is the complete process of developing or improving a product or product characteristics and bringing it to market. Product development is described in the literature as the transformation of a market opportunity into a product available for sale and it can be tangible (that is, something physical you can touch) or intangible (like a service, experience, or belief). 
Product development may involve modification of an existing product or its presentation, or formulation of an entirely new product that satisfies a what a client wants.
A good understanding of client needs and wants, the competitive environment and the nature of the market represent the top required factors for the success of a new product. Cost, time and quality are the main variables that drive these needs. Aimed at these three variables, Agriterra develops continuous practices and strategies to better satisfy the clients requirements and increase their market share by a regular development of (new) products.

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To develop practices and strategies to better satisfy the clients requirements and increase their market share by a regular development of (new) products.
Enhancing the malt barley and wheat marketing performance Duro Abaro has 1800 members and strongly focusses on output marketing of wheat and barley. Though it is a start-up with typical challenges for a start-up, it showed a sound development track, has a clear focus and potential to increase the marketing business substantially. 

The management capacity is relatively low. Duro Abaro has only two staff employed, a manager (paid by government) and a casher. For the current organizational performance this is workable. However, for the growth ambitions Duro Abaro has this is too small. Next to the human resources, business development services need to be geared at installing more professional systems and structures, like the financial management and human resource policies.

Duro Abara is a start-up union focusing on marketing of wheat and malt-barley trade. Established in 2012, it has had one profitable trade year, traded 2100 quintal of wheat and malt barley. Though the first year was rather successful, the organizations' financial sustainably and health is very low. On top of that the union, urgently needs to acquire working capital, since it seeks to trade 6000 quintal of barley and 2000 quintal of wheat this season. Furthermore the union lacks professional staff, systems and structures in place that can bring the union to the next phase. Union has the aim to improve productivity of its members. Therefore this action plan  focusses on 
-strengthening the union and FMOs in terms of management and financial management capacity
-enhancing productivity of wheat and barley farmers
-acquiring work capital at CBO and improving trade performance

-strengthening the union and FMOs in terms of management and financial management capacity
-enhancing productivity of wheat and barley farmers
-acquiring work capital at CBO and improving trade performance
IFAP: the aftermath This is a project for internal administrative purpuses to bring together the cost and activities needed to finalize the project relation with IFAP. Please refer also to project 06if-4837 IFAP.

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- Developing a long terms internal capitalization strategy
- To mobilize internal capital (5000.000 ETB) and bank loan (around 10.000.000 ETB) for semi-refinery
- Improving marketing capacity
- Improving financial management capacity
- Improving membership commitment and supply chain management
- To start acquisition and construction of refinery plant
Becoming a model bank in South West Uganda In 1980’s, one hundred thirty two (132) banana farmers in Kigarama Sub County came together as a group and formed Kigarama Matooke Twetungye Cooperative Society Limited (KMTSCL). The cooperative society was limited by shares. The purpose of the society was to enable members access the vast and reliable Kampala market for bananas. The society later transformed into a microfinance institution in the names of Kigarama People’s Savings and Credit Association (KPSCA). In 2005, this association was transformed into a cooperative society registered in the names of Kigarama People’s Cooperative Savings and Credit Society (KPCSCS). KPCSCS’s headquarters are presently situated in Kanyeganyegye Trading Centre (TC) and its area of operation covers Sheema, Buhweju, Bushenyi and Mbarara Districts in southwestern Uganda. 

Kigarama People’s Cooperative Savings and Credit Society is a member owned organization with the General Assembly being the overall policy organ. The Board of Directors (BODs) in whom the day-to-day running of the MFI is vested, give the strategic direction and oversee operations to ensure that operational guidelines and policies are adhered to. After the BODSs, there are four directorates in charge of finance & budget, education, Human Resource and loans.  Under the directorates, the management team headed by the manager run the MFI according to board guidelines and policies. 

Presently the SACCO provides six different loans products to their 5.582 (Jan. 2014) clients in the form of agricultural loans, commercial loans, development loans, school fees loans, asset loans and emergency/short-term loans.

Kigarama SACCO is well organized and has a good financial situation. Management, staff and Board seem to be very ambitious and are keen on expanding their activities. Therefore, they need a lot of risk-capital (equity) to finance their growth. 

Agriterra could work with Kigarama SACCO for 1 year, to;

-update the current business plan in 2014/2015 with attention to the financial program, generating more profit

-smoothen the access to finance
Access to capital, in order to fulfill market demand of loans: UGX 400 million

-train staff
On working with financial ratios, KPIs and internal control measures

-train Board and staff
Expose the team to best practices in Uganda and a neighbouring country, to develop new products and innovate. More research is to be done in order to meet changing market demand

 -create a network between the 4 branches (5th one is about to start)
This entails the accounting system & Internet network, creating a safe working environment and ensuring management is up-to-date 24/7

-assess the viability of setting up an ATM, and if possible assist in executing it. This would be the first ATM at a SACCO in Uganda
In summary they’d like to become a model bank in the area, or even Uganda. Their exposure is large, and they have huge influence in the area, boosting farmer entrepreneurship.

Access to capital, in order to fulfill market demand of loans: UGX 400 million.
Transfer project budget to Vietnamese clients via SNV Agriterra has been based in Vietnam since january 2016. In the first half year many new prospects have been assessed and turned into clients. This contains besides starting up missions, also starting projects together. For some clients Agriterra is facing a problem.

Due to legal reasons Agriterra cannot transfer project budgets to 4 clients in Vietnam as Agriterra is not registered as business or NGO in Vietnam. For this reason the temporary solution has been proposed to channel project budget for 4 clients: QNFU,PNEL,UBDA and DTCA, via SNV.
Projects which will be covered by this transfer are:-6497-6604-6605-6606

 
  
According to our action plans and the MOU between SNV and QNFU we should reserve Euro 18,800 for all 4 clients in Quang Ninh, with below details:
  
QNFU= 11.500€ (Contract) 
  
DTCA= 2250€ (Contract)
  
PNEL=2800€ (Contract)
  
UBDA=2250€ (Contract)
  

1st installment should be E 25,500 x 80%                 = E 15,040 
  
Plus 15% of the E 20,400 for SNV overhead costs     = E 2,256
So in total Agriterra should transfer to SNV VN           =E 17,296

As Agriterra already has good relations with SNV vietnam and there is already a contractual relationship regarding housing and some services, channeling the project budgets via SNV is the easiest solution. 
SNV asks 15% on top of the channeled money for their services which are adminstrative and financial control follow-up with our clients. More info on this is in the attached file.

Make sure the carrying out of the different projects with the 4 clients runs smooth.
Strengthening the entrepreneurship of Producer organisations Title: Strengthening the entrepreneurship of Producers’ Organisations (PO) in Bangladesh 

Name of organisations: 
•	HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation 
•	Agriterra
•	Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB)
•	Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO)
 
Location of project activities: 
Country: Bangladesh 
District: Rajshahi Division, Naogaon District
Sub-district: Manda Upazila  

Overall objective: to contribute to sustainable and inclusive producer organisations  and their members through  affordable, accessible and quality technical services/support and organisational strengthening

Specific objectives:
-	Federated producer organisations are capacitated for successful collective bargaining and establishment of functional linkages with the public and private sector to improve the economic status of their members
-	producer organisations are strengthened to form federated and/or registered PO at Union and Upazila levels by creating stronger vertical and horizontal linkages
-	Producers organised under producer organisations have enhanced their production and productivity through improved and accessible technical and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills in selected agricultural value chains  
Project duration/period: 16 months; September 2013- December 2014

Direct beneficiaries: about 3,000 farmers organised in about 150 producer organisations

see oploaded file
Budget: 139.600 Euro (plus 9520 EUR in kind)
	
Contribution by organisation 


No.	Organisation 	Contribution (in Euro) 
1	Agriterra	108.600
2	HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation	22.630 Euro
3	CCDB	In kind (value 9520 Euro)
4	ICCO	8370 Euro in total + in kind (staff time)

Main goal:
To contribute to sustainable and inclusive Producers’ Organisations (PO) and their members through affordable, accessible and quality technical services/support and organisational strengthening.


Specific objcetives:
- Federated PO are capacitated for successful collective bargaining and establishment of functional linkages with the public and private sector to improve the economic status of their members
- PO are strengthened to form federated and/or registered PO at Union and Upazila levels by creating stronger vertical and horizontal linkages
- Producers organised under PO have enhanced their production and productivity through improved and accessible technical and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills in selected agricultural value chains
L'autonomisation de la LSC à travers la transformation, la commercialisation du manioc et l'accès au crédit La LSC est en pleine phase de mutation de l’Asbl vers la coopérative agricole, elle est en train de s’approcher et comprendre progressivement le marché locale avec les deux filières choisies et dont les études ont démontrés leur rentabilité. Elle a réussi à identifier ses clients potentiels pour ses deux principaux produits dont l’un (Manioc) est certifié par le Service Congolais de Contrôle, OCC en sigle, après analyse du laboratoire.   En 2016, la LSC a vendu 12.700Kg de Farine de manioc et 1.800Kg de Champignon à ses différents clients tels que ’’TOUT EN EST’’ et les agents d’une institution financière HEKIMA. Toutefois, le statut jurique de la LSC devra être reexaminé afin de permettre  son autonomisation à travers la fonction écomomique 

Le plan d'action 2017 va se focaliser sur :
- L'appui à la certification de la farine de manioc et des champignons par l'OCC ;
- La formation de l'équipe des finances sur l'usage du logiciel SAGE ;
- Mettre en place un cadre des comptes approprié pour faciliter la comptabilité ;
- Recruter un conseiller juridique pour définir le cadre légal de la LSC ;
- Appuyer le recrutement d'un caissier au sein de l'organisation.

L'objectif c'est d'autonomiser la LSC à travers la transforamtion, la commercialisation et l'accès au crédit.
Les objectifs spécifiques :
- Un cadre de comptes existe ;
- 3 liens d'affaires avec les débouchés sont noués
Plantas de balanceados y lácteos y sistema integrado de APL La Asociación de Productores de Leche del Valle de Cochabamba (APL) es la principal organización productores de leche vacuna de los valles alto, central y bajo del Departamento Cochabamba, Bolivia y la pionera en el sector lechero de Bolivia. Fue fundada el 15 de febrero de 1954. Cuenta con 1.509 socios/as activos, de los cuales el 60% (905) son pequeños granjeros que producen hasta 100 litros de leche fluida, 30% (453) son granjeros medianos con una producción diaria de 101 a 300 litros de leche. El restante 10% (151) son grandes productores de leche, con una producción superior a 300 litros/día. El Proyecto busca mejorar la productividad de la planta de alimento balanceado, formular una propuesta de proyecto de factibilidad de una planta de procesamiento de derivados lácteos que sirva como alternativa para agregación de valor a la leche excentaria que no es acopiada por la multinacional PIL Andina. Asimismo, pretende la puesta en marcha del Sistema Integrado de Gestión que fue desarrollado con apoyo de apoyo de Agriterra en el marco del proyecto Gestión organizacional y crecimiento de la planta de alimentos balanceados, la gestión 2016.     


Consultoría para reingeniría y automatización de la Planta de alimento balanceado Asesoría en la adecuación del Proyecto de la Planta de Derivados Lácteos de APL, para acceso a diversas fuentes de financiamiento (bancarios, instituciones y/o cooperación, etc)Desarrollo, implementación y puesta en marcha de los módulo PRCL (Programa de Registro y Control Lechero) y Créditos del Sistema Integrado de APLDesarrollo de los Módulos de Contabilidad de costos y contabilidad general del Sistema Integrado de APL Fase II del Plan estratégico de comunicación e identidad corporativa para APL Curso de Capacitador de Capacitadores (TOT) de Gestión básica financieraAprendizaje sobre governanza, aspectos legales y de gestión financiera y del negocio de cooperativas lácteas de propiedad de productores

BHAG
 APL ha reducido sus costos de funcionamiento y operación en 5% (Bs 1.000.000,00) sobre el total de gastos de la gestión 2016
Improved efficiency milk processing The company assessment of Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union was conducted in June by Jan Drenthen and Frank van der Vlugt, and was supported by Wilfred Chepkwony of Agriterra Kenya.
The situation of Meru Central Dairy, can be described as follows:&#61607;	the financing of the major investments has already been settled;
&#61607;	the company is going through a major change in both production and sales;
&#61607;	apart from production and sales, several other issues need attention and improvement;
&#61607;	the (financial) risk in the next two years is relatively high; this period is critical for the future of Meru Central Dairy.

So there is not really a business case, but rather a critical situation, with several areas of improvement, where external help might be the difference between failure and success.

Based on the analysis and findings during the company assessment, the following areas of improvement have been identified:

&#61607;	Creation of a 3 year strategic plan, that includes the following items:
&#61607;	Ensuring a more reliable and smooth milk supply by:
	Increasing farmer loyalty
	Ensuring a smooth pattern of milk supply (over the year) by creating and implementing a milk price system that stimulates supply in low season, and lowers supply in peak season, and avoids over-paying in the peak season
	Enhancing the two items above by training of farmers and making AI/milk planning part of the education of farmers&#61607;	Avoiding forced sale of milk by storing long life end-products in the high season, and selling the stocks in the dry season
&#61607;	Developing a Marketing & sales plan for UHT pouches to ensure stable and smooth sales
&#61607;	Maximising local sales (or more in general: independent sales) by further development of the micro marketing project with merchandisers, if and where profitable
&#61607;	Increasing sales volume and margin for yoghurt, by mechanising the process
&#61607;	Milk-logistics from society to production can be optimised, in order to increase milk quality (and reduce spoilage of milk) and decrease milk collection costs
&#61607;	Continue improving employee loyalty, e.g. by increasing the intensity of education
&#61607;	During and after the replacements and other investments in the factory, serious attention should be given to cost reductions, reduction spoilage of milk and further optimisations in production
&#61607;	Closely monitor Overhead costs development.

The main objective of Agriterra’s support is to reduce milk losses reported milk supply is 5% higher than reported sales) and reduce milk returned from the market due to quality problems (currently at 6%).
En Camino a la Certificación Orgánica Por el difícil contexto del precio del palmito a nivel internacional en combinación con la nueva competencia local, en 2016 Apropal ha podido mantenerse en su punto de equilibrio con una ligera utilidad operativa y una facturación prácticamente igual a la del 2015. Se espera que con la incursión en la producción orgánica planificada para iniciar el 2017, pueda ser una estratégica de diferenciación con un precio mucho más atractivo para los agricultores, y que permita mantener a Apropal en la vanguardia de la producción y comercialización del palmito a nivel nacional/ internacional como hasta ahora lo ha sido. Se planifica lograr los siguientes resultados: 
- EEFF bi-mensuales- Manual de procedimientos y politicas financieros y administrativos elaborado y aprobado por consejo de administración- Implementación del software contable- Lograr la certificación organica hasta Dic 2017.- Volumen de acopio 230.000 tallos mensual y rendimiento en planta 130 gr/tallo- 15 lideres y 2 trabajadores capacitados- 12 talleres para 311 socios en gestión y mercado- Estudio para desarrollar servicios de crédito interno elaborado y difundido internamente

P.1 Financial management: Contratación de un contador internoP.2 Financial management: Manual completo de procedimientos y políticas financieros y administrativos (incluyendo control interno)P.3 Financial management: Seleccionar e implementar un nuevo software contableP.4 Production: Evaluación de linea de base respecto a exigencias de la certificación orgánica, preparación y auditoriaP.5 Production: Asesoría técnica en campoP.6 Governance: Pasantía a otra cooperativa para conocer experiencias exitosas de sistemas de aportes, derecho a servicios (habilidad del socio), crédito interno
P.7 Governance: Fortalecimiento de las bases sociales a través de capacitación, motivación y transferencia de información (gestión y mercado)P.8 Business: Estudio de factibilidad y plan financiero para desarrollar servicios de crédito interno

En Camino a la Certificación Orgánica
Optimizing sesame, cotton and sorghum output marketing Metema multipurpose cooperatives union situated in North Gonder zone, Metema district, Genda Wuha town of the Amhara regional state. The union established in 1999 by four primary cooperatives with 52, 000-birr capital. Currently, it has 37 member cooperatives from two woredas (Quara and Metema) and the capital is 14,693,214 ETB. The union mainly purchases sesame, cotton, and sorghum from its members. It also supplies agricultural inputs, like improved seeds, pesticide, fertilizer and herbicides and consumer. This region is known for its highest potential in sesame, cotton and sorghum respectively in North-west region of the country. The union is one of the growing cooperatives unions in Amhara Region until it gets in a serious financial deficit in 2014/15 due to the sesame market fall. However, this year the union cleared/payback/ 6.7 million the bank credit (70% from own source and 30% from Tsehay union) and able to access 50,000 million ETB from commercial bank of Ethiopia although they got it lately.  So far, the union collected 2,500 quintals of sesame and prepared to collect cotton and sorghum. 



Generally, this action plan is prepared for the year 2017 to support and make happen the union internal action plan of the following purchasing volumes and improving internal management.
• 15,000 quintals sesame• 65,000 quintals of cotton • 15,000 quintals of sorghum • Relationship with PCs improved and • Mobilizing 2 million ETB equity capital.
Efficient operations at dairy processing plant (2) null

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Main goal is to fully utilize the installed processing capacity of 300,000L/day by the end of 2018. However, for 2016 Meru Central Dairy are looking at getting to a high of 200,000L/day.

2016 goals:







1. Receiving and processing 200,000L/day at the end of 20162. Increasing production per cow/per farmer3. Increase its national average market share (By 2%)
Building Lobby Capacity (FACT) in Asia Agriterra is actively involved in the promotion of farmers’ organisations’ lobby and advocacy work in developing countries through its Farmers Advocacy Consultation Tool (FACT). One of Agriterra’s key objectives is to increase farmers’ influence towards key decision makers with respect to a better enabling environment for farmers to strengthen their position in the sector.

  

Agriterra is building the lobbying capacity of Federations and Unions in Asia using the FACT-methodology. Through the FACT-methodology, the capacity of these farmer organisations is strengthened to raise key lobbying issues to decision-makers in the interest of their members.



The capacity of farmer organisations in Asia is strengthened to raise key lobbying issues to decision-makers in the interest of their members.
Strengthening financial transparency and developing the business case IABM is a maize seed producer and processes maize into maize flour and animal feed. The cooperative was registered officially in 2009 and its mission is to increase member’s income through cooperative actions. IABM has 764 members and an additional 1,011 potential members, who both supply the maize grains to the IABM factory.

  



  













IABM has invested in a corn mill in 2016 which is currently operating at approximately 60% of capacity. The main activity of IABM was however the multiplication of maize seeds. The multiplication is done by members, whom sell the multiplied seeds to IABM. The cooperative then sells the produce to RAB. IABM can produce more than 300 metric tons of maize seeds (OPV) per year and can process 80 metric tons of maize grain into maize flour per year. Seeds which are not certified are being processed into flour. 













IABM expects to increase the maize yield in 2017 from 3.5mt/ha to 5t/ha. In terms of diversifying the sources of revenues IABM prepares to construct a storage for selling agro inputs and agriculture materials, construct a training centre and restart its mushroom tubes and mushroom production activities which stopped when the maize factory was implemented. IABM also targets to produce hybrid maize seeds. IABM wants to become a recognized actor in distribution of quality seeds, by ensuring respect of standards required by the Rwanda Agricultural Board, who is encouraging cooperatives to become certified seeds selling points. 

  















  













Agriterra and IABM have agreed to work on professionalizing the marketing activities of IABM and improve the production capacity of its members and the linkages with other cooperatives who can potentially supply their maize to IABM. IABM wants to expand its membership base and work on its transparency by getting external audits and presenting these to the AGM. To improve financial management, the staff will be trained on the new accounting software.



We aim to strengthen the transparency and to develop the business case of IABM