Hariyaali Jaibik Tea Producers Cooperative Limited was established on 2064/08/25 B.S. (December 11, 2007 A.D.) in Ilam Municipality 05, Ilam with the objective of taking a leading role in promoting and integrating tea farming in former VDCs of Ilam namely Maipokhari, Sumbek, and Sulubung. The cooperative was formally registered on at the Division Cooperative Office, Ilam, with 25 founding members. The cooperative follows the principles and values of the cooperative movement by integrating local resources, skills, knowledge, and information to support tea farmers, particularly by prohibiting chemical fertilizers, commercializing tea farming, processing the produced tea, and providing farmers with appropriate training and advanced materials.
With a vision to develop the region as an organic tea farming area, the cooperative has grown to 134 farmers, including 20 women members. By embracing cooperative principles and values, the cooperative primarily encourages its members in tea production, green tea leaf collection, trade, fertilizer production, and marketing, along with tea processing. It aims to improve the living standards of its members through quality financial and non-financial services.
Vision
Cooperativism as a means of economic, social, cultural, and environmental development.
Organic tea production, processing, and marketing through greenery.
Mission
The cooperative aims to support its members in producing organic green tea leaves, cash crops, livestock farming, vegetable and fruit cultivation, and medicinal herb production at competitive prices. Additionally, it focuses on processing, marketing, fertilizer production, savings and credit services, and other financial support. The organization is committed to enhancing members’ skills and capacities to create self-employment opportunities while developing itself into a sustainable, long-term institution.
Goals
The cooperative aims to ensure the economic and social upliftment of its members by following the laws and regulations within its working area and developing a commercial agricultural system.
Objectives
- Creating awareness among members about self-reliance, mutual cooperation, and financial discipline.
- Integrating traditional and modern tea farming techniques to establish a sustainable tea farming system.
- Encouraging a culture of saving among members and utilizing those savings for investment in members' businesses.
- Supporting social, cultural, and environmental conservation activities within the tea farming community, including the preparation of a tea farming calendar.
- Advocating for the resolution of farmers' issues by engaging with relevant authorities.
- Encouraging members to produce organic tea.
- Providing technical assistance to new tea farmers.
- Organizing various awareness programs to encourage farmers to engage in tea farming.