The Enterprise Development Programme

NEPAL

GROWING BUSINESSES

The Small Farmer Food Industries rice mill (NAWALPARASI) is based in the lowlands, 250km from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Oxfam helped the enterprise establish a credit facility and introduce more attractive packaging. It now sells rice to 34 buyers in 11 districts including Kathmandu.

Pavitra Jankalyan Agriculture Cooperative (PAVITRA) trades vegetable seeds. The seed business has completed a new small processing plant and registered its brand to trade packaged seeds from 2016. Membership in PAVITRA has grown significantly, from 213 in 2010 to 927 in 2015 (61% women).

The Dadeldhura Farmers’ Cooperative Society (DAFACOS) is based 500km west of Kathmandu, and sells seeds and vegetables. DAFACOS has tripled its sales since Oxfam started supporting it three years ago, reaching almost £50,000 last year.

R&D Solutions runs six vegetable retail stores, supplying individual consumers and institutional buyers such as restaurants, caterers and hotels. It’s a pioneer in Nepal’s vegetable retail chain business, being the first of its kind to link farmers more directly to customers, creating more value for both farmers and customers. R&D also helps farmers to develop agri-business plans, providing technical training and links to markets for their products. EDP will support R&D to establish a smooth supply chain of vegetables, by involving 500 farmers (70% women) in more effective, efficient and sustainable farming practices. Additionally, as banks in Nepal are reluctant to invest in agro-based business, EDP will support R&D to access loans from banks.

Pokhara Women’s Skill Development (PWSD) have been involved in the fair-trade handicraft sector for over 40 years. During this time hundreds of vulnerable and marginalised landless women have been given flexible income-earning opportunities that can fit around their care responsibilities. At the same time, the management have been able to gradually build a significant trading business. EDP support will enable them to rapidly grow their production capacity to secure their longer-term future, helping with access to working capital and fixed capital, product development, marketing and network-building.

Other EDP projects: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Honduras, Rwanda

To find out how you can get involved with this, or any other project, get in touch with our team in Oxford.
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MORE INFORMATION

Read the Enterprise Development Programme Annual Report 2016

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