Namphungyak Tea Producer Cooperative Society Ltd.

Introduction

Namphungyak Tea Producer Cooperative Society Ltd. located in Phidim Municipality ward no. 5 of panchthar district. Established with the aim of advocating for the rights and addressing the issues of small-scale tea farmers by reaching out to the relevant state authorities and stakeholders.

The cooperative focuses on providing necessary services and facilities to its members, promoting organic farming techniques, and encouraging the commercialization of tea farming. It plays a crucial role in enhancing the economic, social, and cultural development of farmers, creating a favorable environment for their daily livelihoods.

With this objective in mind, an initial group of 39 members—8 women and 31 men—formed the cooperative, which was formally registered at the Division Cooperative Office in Ilam on 2067/11/25. At present, the cooperative has expanded to include 57 tea farmers, comprising 16 women and 41 men, with more farmers continuously joining.

Vision

Cooperative in Commercial Tea Farming, Employment in Every Household

Mission

The cooperative aims to support its members by providing competitive prices for organic green tea leaves, cash crops, and medicinal herbs. It also focuses on processing, marketing, fertilizer production, and financial services such as savings and loans. Additionally, the cooperative will enhance members' skills and capacities, establish small industries for self-employment, and evolve into a long-term sustainable institution.

Goals

The cooperative will operate within its designated area by adhering to relevant laws and regulations, ensuring economic, social, educational, and cultural advancement for both the organization and its members.

Objectives

The primary objective of the cooperative is to eliminate the increasing use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in tea production. Instead, it aims to promote organic fertilizers and natural pest control methods to produce tea that meets international standards. Along with tea production and expansion, the cooperative also prioritizes economic and non-economic services to ensure the sustainable development of the community and improve members' living standards. The key objectives are:

1. Promote self-reliance, mutual cooperation, and a culture of savings among members.
2. Manage the marketing of produced goods.
3. Encourage organic tea cultivation.
4. Provide necessary organic fertilizers and pesticides for tea production.
5. Process and package tea for commercial sale.
6. Facilitate national and international marketing of processed tea.
7. Encourage members to engage in tea farming to enhance their economic status.
8. Coordinate and implement programs with donor organizations.

Activities of the Cooperative

1. Regular savings and loan investment programs.
2. Monthly meetings.
3. Tea plantation and nursery management.
4. Organizing cooperative training programs to enhance members' knowledge.

 Future Programs

1. Tea processing, grading, and packaging.
2. Expansion of nursery management and tea plantation.
3. Enhancing financial accessibility through effective savings and loan investments.
4. Organizing accounting management training and cooperative awareness programs.
5. Promoting organic manure production by training members on composting and fertilizer management.
6. Strengthening coordination with stakeholders to implement beneficial programs for members.
7. Providing veterinary training and services to support organic tea farming.
8. Developing irrigation facilities to ensure productive and efficient tea cultivation.

Achievement

Organizations such as SNV Nepal, Agriterra Netherlands, TISEC Nepal, the Central Tea Cooperative Federation Ltd., the District Cooperative Federation, the Tea Board, and the Panchthar Tea Producers Cooperative Federation Ltd. have provided various capacity-building training and workshops for the cooperative and its members. These include cooperative management and accounting training, three-year strategic plan development, tea processing and packaging training, women's entrepreneurship training, business entrepreneurship training, and proposal writing training.

In coordination with National Tea and Coffee Development Board, the cooperative produced 50,000 tea nursery plants, which were sold and distributed to members and other tea farmers.

In the fiscal year 2069/070, the cooperative distributed improved varieties of fruit nurseries worth NPR 40,000 to its members and all farmers in Chokmagu. Furthermore, with the management support of TISEC and the Panchthar Tea Producers Cooperative Federation, and financial assistance from LWF, a one-year training program covering soil testing, plantation, and tea garden management was conducted last year.

The cooperative has been regularly operating a savings and loan investment program through the monthly savings of its members.