Realizing the wheat flour mill investment and starting of haricot bean export marketing <p>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.</p> <p>• ? Supporting the union to establishing the wheat flour milling factory<br>• ? Mobilize 8 million birr equity capital from members<br>• ? Professionalizing the union and PCs management practice<br>• ? Strengthening women PC BoD members’ leadership capacity <br>• ? Improving the farmer agronomic knowledge and increasing the farmers access to improved seed<br>• ? Starting expert marketing of haricot beans<br>• ? Output marketing of 60 000 quintal wheat  25 000 quintal haricot bean  40 000 malt barley and 40  000 maize</p> <p>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:<br>• ? Supporting the union to establishing the wheat flour milling factory<br>• ? Mobilize 8 million birr equity capital from members<br>• ? Professionalizing the union and PCs management practice<br>• ? Strengthening women PC BoD members’ leadership capacity <br>• ? Improving the farmer agronomic knowledge and increasing the farmers access to improved seed<br>• ? Starting expert marketing of haricot beans<br>• ? Output marketing of 60 000 quintal wheat  25 000 quintal haricot bean  40 000 malt barley and 40  000 maize</p>

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<p>Ethiopia  Oromia regional state  West Arsi Zone  Shahsemene town<br></p>