Laikipia Produce and Marketing Cooperative Society recruits a manager

By Bob Aston

The Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society finally has a Manager. The Netherlands Development Organizations (SNVs) has supported the cooperative in the appointment of the manager for a period of six (6) months. It is expected that after this period the cooperative will be self sustaining. The manager has already been issued with a laptop and a printer to help him in performing his responsibilities.

Nahashon Waciuru Mwangi, Manager Laikipia Produce and Marketing Co-operative Society believes that 2015 will be a good year for the cooperative. Nahashon who has joined the cooperative this year has a Bachelor of Business Management from Mount Kenya University and a Diploma in Human Resource Management also from Mount Kenya University.

He has urged the members to increase their share contribution in order for the cooperative to have enough funds to undertake various activities.

He is particularly eager to ensure that the cooperative succeeds as a Grain Business Hub (GBH). The cooperative was appointed to become a GBH, under the SNVs Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP). He said that he is ready to link the cooperative to HGSFP and other structured markets in order to ensure that the cooperative is profitable.

The coop manager during the interview

“Depending on the resources available i want to start implementing the GBH. This is a great opportunity that will ensure the cooperative becomes profitable,” said Nahashon.

A GBH is a business characterised by amalgamation of supportive businesses/services linked to grain business that enables an organisation to trade in grains efficiently, effectively and sustainably; and ensures grain suppliers (farmers) access goods and services through check-off system.

Nahashon plans to continue cultivating relationships with other partners like ALIN, SNV, Eastern African Grain Council (EAGC), MEA Ltd, Kilimo Biashara Profilers, Kenya Seed Company Ltd and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock. He said that the cooperative is planning to increase their membership from the current 400 to 1,000 members.

“We are planning to start membership recruitment. We have already set up a program for areas that we plan to recruit members. We expect to open branches in areas where we have a high number of members,” said Nahashon.

The Laikipia Produce and Marketing cooperative society that emerged from the work undertaken by ALIN with the support of the Ford Foundation’s Expanding Livelihoods for Poor Households Initiative (ELOPHI) serves farmers in Laikipia. It is a vehicle for bulking, marketing and trading in farm commodities and other products and services.