The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Government of Japan has partnered with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to implement ‘Capacity Building Project for Farmer’s Organizations to support the development of Food Value Chain in Asia and Africa for three years starting 2020. The project comprises of four parts:
 

• Training-1: Strengthening Management and Development of Agricultural Cooperatives and Farmers’ Organizations in Asia and Africa
• Training-2: Empowering of Rural Women for Improvement of their Leadership and Business and Management in Asia and Africa
• Training-3: Strengthening of Marketing through Improvement of Quality of Farm Produce and Expansion of Marketing Channels
• Follow-up Guidance and Survey of Ex-participants

The Training course on "Strengthening Management and Development of Agricultural Cooperatives and Farmers’ Organizations in Asia and the Pacific-2021” was held online from February to March 2022. It aims to foster leaders of farmers’ organizations including agricultural cooperatives, who are expected to play a central role in promoting the formation of agricultural cooperatives and the strengthening of organizational and business management, thus contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural products and income, leading to sustainable agricultural production.

The course was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and the Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia (IDACA), Japan. 11 participants from Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Nepal and Vietnam attended the course and learned about the experience of agricultural & dairy cooperatives in India.

The detailed report of the course has been published and can be read here.

The training course on “Strengthening of Marketing through Improvement of Quality of Farm Produce and Expansion of Marketing Channels-2022” will be held from 22 November to 16 December. The course aims to contribute to the development of agricultural cooperatives and improvement of their members’ living standards by improving the agri-products’ quality, access to markets of high value-added products and more involvement in food value chain through strengthening of business economies in Asia and Africa, where initiatives for organizing agricultural cooperatives are making headway.

Around 10 participants from countries like India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, and Thailand and African countries will participate in the training. The participants will learn about the agriculture and fisheries cooperatives in Japan, their business development and marketing strategies, the concept of food value chain, safety procedures, and case studies of successful agricultural cooperatives.

The training is held in collaboration with the Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia (IDACA-Japan). Stay tuned for more details!