completed· Governance

Strengthening JCCU in supply chain and market positioning of oranges

The Junar Central Cooperative Union was established in 2008. It is a federation of the Sindhuli Junar District Union and the Ramechap Junar District Union, and 43 primary cooperatives, representing about 7626 individual farmers. JCCU has the mandate to advise and assist the district unions, the primary cooperatives and its members. JCCU is maintaining the contacts with the district, zonal and national government and third parties. Furthermore JCCU initiates, organizes and monitors the investment they are doing on behalf of the members. JCCU plays a role in advocacy and service provision to members; and is positioning itself more and more as a business partner for the cooperative farmers. JCCU invested in a Junar processing plant where Junar is processed into juice thereby adding value to the produce of the farmers of the cooperatives. The uniqueness of the federation is believed to be the combination of a partially farmer owned business and fully farmer led federation. Agriterra has done company assessment of JCCU on 10-15 Feb, 2016. The company assessment team recommended that JCCU fulfill the criteria that Agriterra requires in order to start a client relationship with JCCU. As the result, Agriterra started cooperation with JCCU of 5 months in 2016 as the starting up phase of a cooperation between JCCU and Agriterra. The cooperation focused on support in professionalizing JCCU. JCCU has implemented most of the planned activities (except study tour, done in January) and shows an active attitude towards follow up of action plans. Agriterra found JCCU as potetntial clients to continue the cooperation in 2017. JCCU has committed itself during a strategic planning workshop to address 3 strategic objectives in the coming 3 years: 1) establishing a modern Junar tree nursery, 2) building the management and governance capacity of the primary cooperatives, and 3) increasing the sourcing and marketing of Junar from the primary cooperatives. The main focus in 2017 will be on ambition 2 and 3. In order to ensure a regular sourcing to the factory members must be committed and understand the added value of the cooperatives. Many members are unaware of cooperative principles; management and marketing. Record keeping at farm level in order to know the cost price but also to compare production levels and improve this. FACT will be introduced to few active leaders to improve the effectiveness of their lobby. FACT can be applied in preparing a good business plan to apply for funding for the high tech nursery. Financial management to be further improved by recruiting a stronger manager/accountant and follow up the action plan. Support JCCU in farmer led business of oranges