TIDE Phase 2 Design Work Shop <p>SNV TIDE project is Netherland Embassy funded project that started in 2015 in South Western Uganda. As a four-year project to improve dairy farm incomes for 20 000 farmers in seven districts of Kiruhura  Lyantonde  Mbarara  Ntungamo  Isingiro  Sheema and Bushenyi. The mandate of Agriterra has been to strengthen cooperatives and improve dairy service/s delivery to member farmers. 7000 farmers have been reached through so far 75 primary cooperatives within the TIDE area of operation under the umbrella union Uganda Crane Creameries Cooperative Union (UCCCU). Great strides have been attained using the Agriterra approach of equipping cooperatives with good governance and financial management skills that are leading to business development. The ultimate goal is to make cooperatives bankable  (attractive to investment both from within the membership and from external investors). These cooperatives were previously milk collection centers less bent to cooperative practices. The approach of strengthening farmer cooperatives has been a success within the TIDE area leading to sector transformation through uptake of TIDE project products to cooperators and making business linkages with private service providers. This has led to client cooperatives’ members growth of their farm business that has in turn stimulated growth of cooperatives through increased milk supply to the coolers and improved farmer loyalty and commitment.&nbsp; Additionally  emphasis has been to gender mainstreaming through developing business cases for youths along the dairy value chain and women taking up leadership positions in cooperatives for sustainability. 
  </p>
<p>Within this area  there are other cooperatives not yet reached as well as other dairy producing cooperatives across the country. The TIDE phase one cooperative uptake Criteria was easy having been building one a previous Dairy Value Chain Development Project. One hundred coolers had been distributed to producer cooperatives and such cooperatives qualified to be taken on for TIDE Cooperative Capacity Strengthening initiative. More cooperatives received coolers within the TIDE one project implementation period and hence were up taken as well. The TIDE 2 cooperative engagement/ up take criteria will have to be different as the program of cooler allocation and disbursement seems to be completed now. <span></span>
  </p>
<p>Many cooperatives are moving towards coming together to market their produce as a strategy to benefit from economies of scale. The biggest challenge according to the farmers is the fluctuating milk prices brought about mainly by irregular milk production trends by the farmers. This is further exacerbated by the fact that most cooperatives wished to market their small volumes singularly which is always difficult to negotiate with big processors for a good price. Focus shall be supporting the merging process of the cooperatives for a better value proposition to the farmers.&nbsp; 
  </p>
<p>The sale of raw milk has been a major hindrance towards access to better market. This has backward impact on production and productivity on farms. Most farmers milk only once in the morning which is bad business at bot the farm and cooperative.&nbsp; Value addition at cooperative/cluster level is an ideal business strategy but this needs expert support and possibly investment funding or strategic inclusive business models and partnerships.&nbsp;
</p> <ul><li>Determine a grant support system for Cooperatives
  </li><li>Determine client/cooperative uptake criteria and scope.
  </li><li>Determine possible criteria of cooperative unionization strategies.
  </li><li>Share experiences about possible business growth models for the cooperatives. 
  </li><li>Ascertain areas of continued collaborration and synergy between the several partners
  </li><li>Bring together the Dutch dairy expertise and experiences as input to TIDE 2
  </li><li>Bring together all the different stakeholders to make a contribution towards formulation of the new project. 
  </li><li>To develop a proposal that is to be submitted to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for funding. &nbsp;
</li></ul> <table>  <tbody><tr>   <td>   <p>Sunday 12th/5/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Arrival
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Dutch   Agripool & Agriterra Staff
   </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td>   <p>Monday 13th/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Travel from Entebbe/Kampala to Mbarara. Afternoon: briefing session
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Mission   Team  CDU & TIDE PM
   
  </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td>   <p>Tuesday 14th/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>the group splits up into three sub-groups (each sub-group consisting   of two mission members and two CDU members).
   </p><p>Each sub-group will visit one cooperative society and visit two of its   member farmers.
   </p><p>The objective of that day is to appreciate the context and gain an   understanding of where the cooperative movement in Uganda is coming from<span></span>
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Cooperatives  CDU  mission   Team
   
  </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td>   <p>Wednesday 15/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Meeting to appreciate TIDE phase
   </p><ul><li>Morning:   briefing session on the dairy sector in Uganda and the TIDE activities in   phase 1;
   </li><li>Afternoon:   briefing session on the specific activities of CDU during phase 1.
   </li></ul><p><span></span>
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Mission Team  CDU  SNV <span></span>
   
  </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td><p>Thursday 16/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>The mission splits up again into sub-groups  to have detailed   discussions with specific stakeholders. <span></span>
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Mission Team  CDU  processors  UCCCU  service providers  District   Local Government  SACCOs.
   </p><p><span></span>
   
  </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td>   <p>Friday 17/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Visioning workshop.
   </p><p>Selected cooperative leaders (10) will jointly do a visioning exercise   on where we see the cooperative movement 5 years from now  and how the TIDE   project can contribute to that process.
   </p><p>Depending on available capacities  the workshop could be facilitated   by one of the mission members  or we could identify an external facilitator<span></span>
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Mission Team CDU  SNV &   Coop&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;
   
  </p></td></tr>  <tr>   <td>   <p>Saturday 18/05/2019
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>de-briefing
   </p><p>Travel back to Kampala/Entebbe<span></span>
   
   </p></td><td>   <p>Mission Team  CDU & SNV
   
  </p></td></tr> </tbody></table>