A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

6.2.3) Technoserv intervention and service cooperatives
Limu Kosa woreda service cooperatives are not so influencing coffee farmers, except
Babo and Ambuye ones. In this way, initiatives lead by the new Limu Inara union and
Technoserv try to change it.
Name of
cooperatives
Male headed
households
Female
headed
households
Total
Number of
farmers’
association
it holds
Establishment
year EC
Baabbuu 1333 57 1390 3 1990
Tenchoo 350 10 260 1 1996
Shogellee 713 41 754 3 1996
Waleensuu 500 18 518 1 1996
Cimmee 600 20 620 3 1996
Suntu 625 19 644 1 1998
Dabbello 860 19 874 3 1998
Wabee
Koticha
365 7 372 1 1996
Harrawwa
Jimante
1450 83 1533 3 1996
Walakke
Somboo
400 20 420 1 1998
Nix Gunduu 550 12 562 2 1995
Ambuyyee 1450 28 1478 5 1996
Harrawwa
Gatira
150 150 1 2000
Total 9346 334 9680
Table 21: Limu Kosa service cooperatives (Genet WARDO cooperatives office, 3 rd July 2009)
Technoserv is an organization implied in coffee production of different east African
countries since forty years, and currently funded by Bill Gates Corporation. Its workers are
both business and technical advisers allowing guarantee funds to smallholders through bank
loans 92
, and linking them with export markets. Farmers sell their coffee to pulperies; then
upon quality, it will be exported to United States laboratories and market. The organization is
currently implied in the establishment of twenty pulperies across south western Ethiopia in
Jima, Ilubabor and Wellega zones, and of which four are located in Limu Kosa and two in
Limu Seka woredas. The project includes three phases of four/four/three years, and is now
beginning the first one (Technoserv worker, 27 th August 2009).
92 The Commercial Bank is the major rural bank, and has expanded since liberalisation. It generally provides
credit through the service cooperatives. Some communities have experienced serious problems of indebtedness,
following the collapse of prices in 2000 (Save the Children UK, 2003).
111