Project for Empowering Farmers through Cooperative Agribusinesses – PREFCA Project.

Uganda Cooperative Alliance ltd in partnership with Vi Agroforestry has prepared a five-year project to be implemented for the period  2018-2022, The project is known as  Project for Empowering Farmers through Cooperative Agribusinesses (PREFCA)’’will support the strengthening of four unions and six area Cooperative enterprises located in nine Districts.

Project Objectives.

The Overall Objective of the project is ‘’ Farmers Livelihoods improved through Sustainable Cooperative Businesses’’

Specific Objectives (outcomes).

1. Cooperatives accessing appropriate services from UCA to foster their development and ability to serve their members.
2.  Cooperatives with competent leaders and managers, fulfilling their roles and responsibility in an effective and efficient manner, leading to improved patronage levels.
3. Smallholder farmers taking up more roles in their respective value-chains and playing a more active role in the market.
4. Decisions made at LG council meetings are farmer and cooperative-centric, creating a favorable environment for smallholder cooperatives to prosper.

 Expected Outputs.

1.1 UCA’s management structures and systems are improved for effective and efficient delivery of services.

2.1 Governance and management structures of cooperatives are improved for better delivery of services to members.

2.2 Business Management Systems in the Cooperatives strengthened.

2.3 Women and youth participation in cooperative business and leadership improved.

3.1 Cooperatives ‘ capacity to create linkage for members to better input and output markets developed.

3.2 Access to affordable financial services for cooperatives improved.

3.3 Linkages of production, marketing, and financial services cooperatives improved (Tripartite Model)

4.1 Capacity of farmers through their organizations to use facilitative advocacy approaches and tools strengthened

4.2 Advocacy action plans have been developed and implemented by cooperatives

4.3 Cooperatives/Farmer organizations have developed at-least 20 policy papers and briefs on issues affecting their members (with a bias on climate change).

4.4 Spaces for dialogue, networking, collaboration and engagement on farmers’ issues at the local level created.

4.5 Evidence-based policy proposals have been presented by Cooperatives/Farmer organizations and adopted by the decision makers.

4.6 Local government plans and budgets reflect priorities of cooperatives and farmer organizations and local Councils debate and pass decisions, motions, resolutions based on farmer’s petitions and proposals.

Area of Operation.

The project will be implemented in nine Districts covering four Unions including West Buganda Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Masaka, South West Buganda Producers Cooperative Union in Lwengo District, Sebei-Elgon Cooperative Union in Kapchorwa District and East Acholi Cooperative Union in Kitgum District. The Project Will also support the strengthening of six Are Cooperative Enterprises including Kabonera in Masaka District,  Mateete in Sembabule District, Twezimbe in Kyankwanzi District, Bbaale in Kayunga District, Bukusu in Manafwa District and Kagumu in Kibuku District.