ADDIS ABABA— Federal Cooperative Agency (FCA) announced that it has been striving to support cooperative societies so as to boost their production and to supply quality and standardized produce for agro-industries.
The cooperative societies have massive role in sustaining the ongoing reform through producing sufficient agricultural produces which would be used as raw material for agro processing industries, FCA, General Director, Osman Surur Told the Ethiopian Herald.
‘‘Beyond producing for daily consumption, cooperative societies should exert their maximum efforts in producing inputs which are essential for agro-industry. Over the last couple of years, cooperative societies have played huge role in the effort to ensure food sufficiency, stabilizing market and supplying raw materials and introducing and distribution of technology.
Hence, they had incomparable contribution in empowering low income farmers and enhancement of agricultural sector,’’ he stated. He added that cooperative societies increase their produce to fulfill the demand of agroprocessing industrial parks being built across the country through updating their structure and technology.
The government is working to make the cooperative societies competent in trade and investment sectors at home and abroad through improving their structures, designing and modernizing legal frameworks, according to him. ‘‘Road map is already prepared which could give direction for cooperative societies for the next 15 years.
Besides, we have been endeavoring to increase their members, to improve their saving culture and to strengthen financial and investment capability,’’ he noted. Cooperative society members have been increased from 75,000 in 2009 E.C to 85,000 currently and 388 unions have able to accumulate more than 5 billion Birr capital, it was learned.
Herald January 27/2019
BY TSEGAY HAGOS
