Cooperative internal knowledge management
Every 15 days, the members of the cooperative meet, share and discuss their needs. The subjects discussed are mainly related to production practices, seedling supply, aggregation, participation in the cultivation of common land spices, marketing and saving practices.
One of the identified areas in which Serto Medan members shared experiences, was related to the different levels of income obtained by different women farmers who produce turmeric. 1200 kg of turmeric seeds have been distributed for 38 female farmers. For the first time, the cooperative aggregated and supplied 7000 kg of turmeric to Damascene at ETB 5 per kg which is much higher and better than other buyers.
In order to present the attractive market opportunity generated by Damascene’s initiative and to highlight the observation of income variation by different women farmers in turmeric production, Serto Medan organized an experience sharing meeting as part of their knowledge management mechanism practiced locally.
Days prior to the meeting, cooperative leaders together with the 2SCALE BSS (Business Support Services) and Business Champion made house-to-house visits to see how each woman was driving the cultivation of spices and herbs in their backyard. During the meeting the main outcomes of what they have observed as good practices that could be adopted and bad practices to avoid, are presented to all the cooperative members.
Comparative analysis on turmeric production
Through a comparative analysis, where turmeric production per 0.125 ha with similar technical support is taken as a reference, the farmer who scored the lowest income (ETB 500) was contrasted with the one who scored the maximum income (ETB 4625). Both producers shared with the cooperative members their experiences and practices while producing turmerics. This comparative analysis is highly appreciated by other female producers who quickly understand the agricultural practices that may or may not work during their farming season.
Almaz Micheal who is single with one child, got the lowest income because she does not view farming spices as a reliable business due to her limited commitment and beliefs. In addition to the distance of 5 Km far from the coop store and the main road, Almaz Michael did not properly apply the best agricultural practices and didn’t even harvest what is available under the ground, mainly due to shortage of labor.
Unlike Almaz Michael, Almaz Adato, 37, married with 4 children got the highest income. According to her, in addition to her highly commitment for the business, some essential factors contributed to the success of her production. She argued:
As a mechanism of internal knowledge management practices, the cooperative evaluates its member's performance at all stages and shares their experiences regularly.
Damascene has supplied 100,000 seedlings of different types of spices and herbs for 270 women farmers on a credit basis. Also, it provided training and conducted frequent field level coaching.
