Evaluation of competence and capacities of farmer groups in
Uganda to engage in dynamic markets
Service provider questionnaire
A.
General information
1. Target organisation…………Uganda Cooperative Alliance (U.C.A)………….
2. Name of service provider respondent…………Muhereza Innocent………………..……....
3. Date of interview……………………………………………………………………….…….…
4. Position of respondent in the service provider organization...........Manager............
5. Email address of service provider……………
[email protected]………………..
6. Telephone contact of service provider……………0772350142....……………..….…..
7. Total field staff in your organization……..…………60…………….………..….…….
8. Total field staff in your area or operation……..……60………………………….……....…….
9. Area of operation…………...No districts………over 40....……No sub-counties……….…..
B.
Training capacity
10. What is the training capacity of your organisation? What do you do well?
Issues
Social empowerment (e.g. groups etc)
Tick
Poor
Medium
Production
√
√
√
Marketing
Credit / internal savings / micro finance
Natural Resource Management
√
√
Innovations and Research
Other 1(mention) Insurance
√
Other 2 (mention)
11. Do you evaluate skills of new groups before you begin skills training?
Yes
Good
√
NO
1
(i)
If yes, how do you evaluate initial skills base? …………………………………………….
Training needs assessment
12. If you provide more than one area of training, what is the normal order of trainings?
Not clear
(1)…………………….……Enterprise selection
(2)…………….…….….…....Input procurement
(3)……..…..………………………………………………………………………………………...
(4)………………….………………………………………………………………………………..
(5)…………….…….….…................................................................................................................
(6)……..…..………………………………………………………………………………………...
13. Do all groups receive training in all areas?
Yes
√
NO
14. If no explain the process of selecting which training to provide? ……….…………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………
15. Does the order of training ever change?
Yes
√
NO
16. If yes, what do you change? ………Method depending on the training
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……Scale of skills training offered to farmers
2
Issues for number of
Initial No
Final No
No groups
Duration of
Cost to train each
groups trained
YEAR………………..
Social empowerment
groups
groups
trained
training per group
group
per year
Each group is trained x
times …
(group formation etc)
Production
9000
Marketing
86 Area
Cooperative
Enterprises
Credit / internal
savings / micro finance
(ACE)
500
SACCOS
Natural Resource
Management
Innovations and
Research
Other 1(mention)
Other 2 (mention)
17. Who does the training of trainers (International, National or local staff)?....................................
……………………National and local staff……………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
18. Who does the training of farmer groups (International, National or local staff)?.........................
…………………National and local staff…………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
19. Do you have specific training materials for each area of skills training?..................................
Quality of training materials
Do not have
3
Poor
Medium
Good
Social empowerment (e.g. groups etc)
√
√
√
Production
Marketing
Credit / internal savings / micro finance
Natural Resource Management
Innovations and Research
√
√
Other 1(mention)
Other 2 (mention)
20. Do you have a trained set of staff training farmers on how to link to markets?
Yes
√
NO
(i) Do you have a list of these staff?
Yes
√
NO
(ii) How is their performance monitored?..............................................................................
-Number of trainings conducted using evaluation forms and reports submitted
-Volumes marketed
(iii) What are their targets?.......................................................................................................
-
That all produce is sold through Area Cooperative Enterprises (A.C.Es)
-
Not quantified
20. Do you have training material for your staff to use in training farmers linkage to markets?
Yes
NO
√
(i) What training material do you use in this regard?......................................................................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………….……………………………………
………
4
21. What incentives do you have for staff to encourage them to increase the number of farmer
groups?.................................(1) salary (2) Transport facilitation....................................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….
C.
Selection of farmers and social groups
22. How do you choose the farmer groups you are dealing with?.....................................................
Voluntary farmer groups agree to form cooperatives after mobilisation and sensitisation…
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………
23. How many members do you have on average in your groups?....min 150 per organization....
24. What incentives do you provide groups to work with you?(free lunch, start up fee, free inputs?)
-
Starting kit for SACCOS and rural producer organisations but these must meet
minimum requirements of a cooperative
-
Safes
-
Filling cabinets
-
Stationery
25. Do you have any requirements of farmers to receive your training or inputs?
Yes
√
NO
26. If yes, describe? …………..……………………………………………………………………
Must be members of a cooperative society/Area Cooperative Enterprise
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……
27. What happens if groups do not comply with your needs?...........................................................
- Terminate the Memorandum of Understanding signed
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………
D.
Market Engagement
28. How do you prepare farmers to engage in markets? What specific training do you give?
-
Form Area Cooperative Enterprises
Trainings are
- Provision of market information, price, place, when, quality and quantity attributes
and post harvest handling services.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………
29. Do you have some field staff with long standing market experience?
Yes
√
NO
Level of market experience
Very experienced
Average
Low experience
No experience
Number of staff
Over 20
40
30. Have you invested in your training staff to be able to monitor markets?
Yes
√
NO
(i) Have you trained your staff in the following issues in relation to monitoring markets?
Issues
Market records
Yes
√
√
√
Market dynamics
Market actors
6
No
Prices
√
√
Other 1 (specify) Packaging
31. Have you analysed markets?
Yes
√
NO
32. What do you have to show for your market analysis?
Evidence
Reports
Tick
√
√
√
√
Contacts
Market strategy
Other 1 (specify)……………Contracts
33. Do you assist farmers to select a product for marketing?
Yes
NO
34. Does your organisation do market surveys before advising farmers what to produce for the
√
market? Yes……… ……..……No……………………Don’t know…………….…..…
35. If yes, who does this research?....................................................................................................
Field staff backed by head quarter staff (Head marketing)
………………………………………………………………………………
….......................................................................................................................................................
.....................................
36. How many products do your farmer groups work on?................................................................
Products
farmer groups
Rank
Products selected by
Rank
Reason target organisation selected this product
target organisation
work on
Banana wine
(Tick)
Banana wine
Have skills in its value addition
Pineapple juice
Pineapple juice
Have high production
Aloe vera
Aloe vera
Better prices
Honey
Honey
A high value enterprise
7
Beans
Beans
Commercial purposes
Diary
Diary
Income purposes
(i) Have you increased the number of products you target?
Yes
√
NO
(ii) If yes, by how many?.............Over 10 in the cooperative movement
37. Have you focused on market diversification?
Yes
√
NO
(i) If yes, how?…………………………………………………………………………….
- Diversifying the linkage
-Linking our farmers/coops to many players
38. If your organisation did not select a product for marketing, Do you provide farmers with
training so that they can do a market survey to select a product to sell at the market place?
Yes
√
NO
(i) If yes, please elaborate………………………………………………………………………….
- Some organisations have been provided with internet and computers to search for
markets
(ii) Do you help farmers to organise a business plan? (Tick)
√
Yes………… ……………..
No…………………………
Don’t know………………..
39. Where do your farmers sell the majority of their most important marketing products? Do you
have any particular target markets?............................................................................................
World Food Program
Schools
Government Agencies
8
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……
40. Are your farmer groups linked with other farmer groups to sell more produce into a market?
√
Yes………… …….
No…………………
Don’t know……..….
41. Do you have any linkages with private sector buyers?
Yes
(i)
√
NO
If yes, describe these linkages………………………………………………................
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(ii)
Do you have regular meetings with these private sector buyers? It is farmers themselves
Yes
(iii)
NO
√
How would you categorise the strength of these linkages with the private sector buyers?
√
Weak……………….…Average…… …..……….Strong……...………….
42. Have you increased the number of commercial links for your groups?
Yes
√
NO
√
43. Do you make contractual arrangements for sales? Yes… ……No………Don’t know……
√
44. Has the quantity of produce being sold by your farmer groups increased………… ……....
decreased……………………………. or stayed about the same?..........................................
45. What has been your most effective contribution in linking farmers to markets?....……………
Provision of skills in market information and training or capacity building
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………
46. Can you provide details of increases in income / profitability of your farmers?.....……………
-
86 ACES are marketing their produce and each has its own balance sheet
-
Difficult as UCA to determine
47. Do you cater for input markets as well?
Yes
√
NO
(i) What have you done in relationship to improving input markets?...............................
- Linking the farmer groups with input dealers and stockists
(ii) What has been achieved in terms of provision of inputs to more farmers?...................
-
Increased production and productivity
-
Increased food security and income
48. Do you have any linkages with private input sellers?
Yes
(i)
√
NO
If yes, describe these linkages………………………………………………......
- Coordinates the organisations with input dealers or stockists e.g. FICA and garden
seed
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………
(ii)
How would you categorise the strength of these linkages with the private sector input
√
sellers? Weak……………….…Average………..…Strong……... .........
49. Do you have any co-investments between your organisation and the privates sector?
10
Yes
NO
√
(i) If yes, this is in relation to what (stores, seeds, advisory services, etc)…………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………
C.
Financial
√
50. Do you provide financial training or services to assist linking farmer to markets? Yes …
No...
(ii)
Savings
If yes, describe
internal loans
Grants
Credit
Inputs on credit
Other
-
Governance
and
√
√
√
leadership
-
Loaning
and
appraisal
-
Record
keeping
-
(ii)
PMT
If yes, how do farmers’ savings or credit assist in selling more produce to markets?
At SACCO level but not at the apex credit finances agricultural production which in turn
increases production and productivity.
………………………………………………..……………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……
51. If you provide credit what are the repayment conditions the farmers must meet?.....................
UCA does not provide credit it has affiliate members that do give credit
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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52. If no, do you assist them in accessing credit, through banks or local lenders? Yes…...No.
√..…
(i) If yes, how do you assist your farmer groups access credit?......................................................
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) If farmers make a profit, do you advice how they can use this profit to meet their needs?
√
Yes… …...No...… and (ii) and also to reinvest back into their business? Yes……...No...…
(iii)
What do most farmers spend their profits on?......................................................................
Financing agricultural production and meeting basic needs
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(iv)
If yes, roughly what level (%) of re-investment do your farmers take back into their
businesses?.........................................................10%..............................
D.
Natural Resource Management
√
53. Do you help farmers groups to manage or re-invest in their Natural Resources? Yes ….
No….
(i) If yes, how? ……….…………………………………………………………………………….
Through tree planting
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) How much do you spend on this?...…………………………………..………………………...
5%
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
F.
Innovation
54. Considering the increasing competitiveness and dynamism of markets, how is the
relationship, level and type of support you give to farmers influenced by these changes?...
- Liberalisation – there is free entry and exit in the market; these significantly influence the
market operations.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
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…………
55. If you do, how do you provide demonstrations to assist farmers to prepare for markets?.........
Provision of marketing kits
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
56. Do your farmers undertake their own experimentation to adapt to changes in the market?.....
Yes…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
………
57. Have you incorporated ideas of value addition in your trainings to enable farmers to raise
incomes?
Yes
√
NO
58. What areas of value addition have you incorporated into the marketing mix?
Area of value addition
Processing
TICK
√
√
√
√
√
√
Quality
Bulking produce
Storage
Selling into new markets
Selling off season
Other 1(specify)………………………………………………………..
Other 2(specify)………………………………………………………..
Other 3(specify)………………………………………………………..
59. How are farmers taking advantage of this?
How farmers are taking advantage of this
Bulked sales
TICK
√
√
√
Increased income
Growing new varieties
13
Selling into new markets
√
√
Selling off season
Other 1(specify)………………………………………………………..
Other 2(specify)………………………………………………………..
Other 3(specify)………………………………………………………..
60. Do you link your farmers to other specialized service providers?
Yes
NO
√
(i) If yes, how do you do it?......................................................................................................
- Provision of market information\where necessary
-Direct linkage, Internet/foodnet
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
(ii) Which specialized SPs do you link your farmers to?.......................................................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…61. How do you enable farmers understand the profitability of their products?................
Conducting gross margin analysis per enterprise
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……
(i) How do you enable farmers to study markets especially in relationship to market information
services?..........................................................................................................................................
Some organisations have access to internet
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
…62.
How
do
you
enable
farmers
to
build
trust
with
their
business
partners?....................................
Training and sensitisation
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
F. Monitoring and Evaluation
63. What criteria do you use to measure your success in training farmer groups?
Criteria
Group formation
Poor
Good
√
14
Production
√
Marketing
√
Credit / Internal
√
Savings and loans
NRM
√
Innovations and
Research
Other 1
Other 2
√
-
Increased membership
-
Increased savings
-
Increased share capital
√
64. Do you monitor the success rate of training in linking farmers to markets? Yes ….....
No...…..
65. If yes, How do you measure your success in terms of market linkage?....................................
-
Volumes marketed
-
Better prices offered
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……
66. What is the level of your success and failure in linking farmer groups to markets?
Category
Total number of groups trained to sell into markets
2006
2005
2004
56
ACES
No of groups that failed or did not sell into target market
No of groups that sold but did not reinvest in Business
No of groups that made sufficient profit to re-invest in the
business
67. Do you have any data to show the impact of your market interventions in the field?
Yes
NO
15
2003
(i)
If yes, what data do you have?............................................................................................
Marketing data – volumes sold, prices offered in different seasons, different products
produced and sold
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Thank you very much
16