Eco Tea Producers Cooperative Society Limited was established on 24 September 2064 by 64 members comprising tea farmers of Rong Rural Municipality, formerly Kolbung and Iroutar Rural Municipality, located in the eastern and southern part of Ilam district. This cooperative is operating with an office established in Ward No. 3 of Rong Rural Municipality, Ilam district. Embracing the principles of cooperatives and its basic values and norms, this cooperative was established with the aim of encouraging its members to produce tea, collecting green tea leaves from tea growers, purchasing and selling them, producing fertilizers required for tea, marketing them, and processing them, and bringing about timely improvement in the living standards of its members through quality, financial and non-financial services. This organization currently has 88 male and 299 female members, with a total of 387 share members. This cooperative is affiliated to the District Cooperative Association, Ilam and thematic Tea District Cooperative Association and Central Tea Cooperative Association Ltd. The organization has been expanding its membership and scope of work by merging with local women's cooperatives in the past year.
Vision
The basis of eco-tea cooperatives, expansion into organic farming systems
Mission
To provide the members affiliated with the organization with the production, processing, and marketing of organic green leaves and other agricultural products, as well as fertilizer production and savings/credit and other financial services, and to create an environment for self-employment by enhancing the skills and capabilities of the members.
Goal
To comply with the prevailing laws and regulations within the scope of the organization and to promote the economic, social and cultural progress of the organization and its members.
Objectives
- To train farmers to make organic fertilizer to produce green tea leaves of international standards by banning the use of prohibited pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and to encourage the production of vermi-compost,
- To establish a tea processing factory that can be established at low cost with the cooperation and partnership of farmers and non-governmental organizations for the processing of organic green tea produced by farmers,
- To increase the attraction towards organic agriculture by organizing observation tours of places where organic agriculture systems are adopted by farmers,
- To provide organic fertilizers and pesticides by the organization,
- To provide all kinds of technical support required by farmers,
- To conduct daily operations as provided in the Cooperative Act, rules and regulations, keeping the interests of the organization and members in mind, and to acquire, purchase, sell, exchange, transfer, deposit, mortgage, etc.
- To promote self-reliance, mutual cooperation and thrift among the members involved in the organization and to save regularly.
- To increase income sources and employment opportunities to improve the economic, social and educational status of the members of the organization.
- To provide interest to the depositors on their deposits at a competitive rate if deposits are received from the members regularly.
- To provide loans to the members at a specified interest rate for productive, income-generating and skill-building purposes.
- To establish direct contact with the bodies that provide the services and facilities required by the members.
- To accept donations and grants received from donor organizations without any conditions.
- To maintain a cooperative spirit with local, regional, national and international organizations that have similar objectives to achieve its objectives.
- To conduct income-generating projects for the development of the members and the organization.
- To assist in the economic and social upliftment of the weak and low-income individuals and groups in the society.
- If necessary, the organization will obtain loans at concessional rates from cooperative and non-cooperative financial institutions and other bodies.
- The cooperative will promote and develop tea tourism and home stays with the participation of its members.
- Conduct health check-up camps for members and citizens of the community.
- Produce, process and market other agricultural products such as turmeric produced by its members.