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Introduction
Sanimai Tea Cooperative Society Ltd was established in 04 April 2011 to professionalize tea farmer through the cooperative in Sankadpur rural municipality which is 15 kilometer northern part of Ilam bazar.
Sandakphu or Sandakfu or Sandakpur (3665 m; 11,930 ft) is the highest peak in the district of Illam, Nepal. Initially the cooperative was formed for collective bargaining for selling green leaf tea to the nearest tea factory and to provide financial services to member according to the values, norms and principles of cooperative. Currently there are 145 members consisting 62 females.
The statement on the cooperative identity states that a cooperative is an "autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural need and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise" (International Cooperative Alliance ICA). Small holder farmers who have less capital are unified within the cooperative and conducting different tea entrepreneurial activities in Nepal. It is collective business practices which promote social business in Nepal. Cooperative is not just only an institution it is becoming a business model in Nepal which is unique selling point among the world's tea production practices.
Establishment of tea cooperative itself was not ultimate solution for tea farmers. Still there were many problems like delay of payment of green leaf, low price for green leaf, difficulty in delivery of green leaf to the nearest factory, dominance of brokers etc. Even member of Sanimai tea cooperative didn't get payment of green leaf tea for 3 years. Board of Directors of Sanimai Tea Cooperative took decision to establish own tea processing with the collective investment of the member to overcome from the existing problem which was the turning point of the cooperative. The cooperative established tea processing factory in 2017 with the 50000 kgs annual capacity. Sanimai was provided financial support from the UNNATI Inclusive Growth Programme in Nepal (Denmark) and technical support by the CTCF Nepal and DTCF Ilam to established tea processing factory. The cooperative is processing different varieties of black orthodox tea. Sanimai is providing NPR 5 more price for green leaf per kgs in compare with other factory to the member. All members are supplying green leaf tea to the cooperative due to timely payment by the cooperative. Now cooperative's members are willing to invest additional capital for the product diversification to the factory. The manager of the cooperative BednidhiPokharel said that even the nonmember of cooperative are requesting to buy green leaf tea to the cooperative but due to the limited capacity of the cooperative we are unable to buy the green leaf from nonmember of cooperative. Now cooperative is planning to install green tea processing machine in the factory.
animai Tea Producer Cooperative Society is not only processing teas but also providing different capacity development and technical training to the cooperative member to make professional farmer and quality improvement with the support of various organizations. My.Coop Training conducted by the cooperative with the support of CTCF Nepal encourages the member to be more committed towards the cooperative.
Contact Details:
Country: Nepal
Province: Province No 1
District: Ilam
Municipality: Sandakpur Rural municipality
Ward No: 03