PROJECT PROPOSAL

Title: A cottage industry in food processing and

fruit drying (value addition).

Implementing organization: Zinunula Buwere farmers group

Motto: Value addition for better market price.

Contact person: Mrs. Teopista Lukwago

P.O. Box 6560, Kampala
Phone: +256-772-821-427

Account no: 0121026927101 Stanbic bank – Mpigi branch

Collaborating agency and extension officer in the area: Higenyi Milton

Caritas-Kampala
Katuka project
P.O. Box 14125
Mengo – Kampala

Mobile: +256-772-856795

E-mail: higenyimilton@yahoo.com

Target group: 20 women members of Zinunula Buwere farmers

group

Project duration: 6 months

Starting time: This will depend on the time the project will be
Funded
Project cost: UGX 10,114,000=

Local contribution: UGX 5,385,000=

External funding: UGX 4,729,000=

Background
Zinunula Buwere farmers group was formed in 2001 and was officially
registered by the department of culture and women in development of Mpigi
district authority as a Community Based Organization.

The group is located in Buwere village – Nabiteete. parish 3 km north of

Buwama town which is 64km on Kampala-Masaka Highway in Mpigi district.
The group has a total of 20 women members involved in the growing of various
crops for food and surplus for income. They also rear livestock like local
poultry, piggery and dairy cows on a small scale zero grazing system. All this is
done to improve on their household food security and income.

The group was formed with the aim of bringing these women together and help
each other in various aspects, pool resources together for collective investment
and collective bargaining power in marketing. This togetherness was also to
enable them access services easily by service providers as well as financial
assistance from funders to improve on their activities.

Since 2002, the group has had training by both Katuka project extension
officer and the area government officer in both crop and livestock management
practices and have now gained knowledge and skills in production practices.
This has enabled them to greatly improve their production but the problem is
with marketability of products which are in most cases perishable and fetch
little income especially at the time of harvest when markets get flooded and low
prices offered. Much as these farmers get technical training in production skills
from the trainers like Katuka staff and government extension workers, they are
not provided with financial backing which is required in the marketing aspect.

This financial backing is particularly required to enable these farmers add

value (process) to their produce in order to get a better price and or to turn the
perishable produce into forms which can store for a longer period while waiting
for the market price to improve.

Situation analysis
Members of Zinunula Buwere farmers group are engaged in the growing of
horticultural crops like pawpaws, avocados, pineapples, passion fruits,Goose
berries and vegetables of local and exotic types for market to earn income.

However, the growing of these crops together with others depends on rainfall as
they have no irrigation facilities. During rainy season, is when everybody goes
in for the same crops and they mature at the same time thereby flooding the
market resulting in low prices. At the same time these crops are perishable and
cannot be stored for some time to wait for a better price. Therefore in fear of
losing all totally, they are just sold at a give way price thereby the farmers
getting low or no profit at all.

Worse still the cost of farm inputs like seed and labour remain expensive. This
has made these women to think of an alternative of solving the perishability
problem by processing (adding value) their produce into other products which
can store for a longer period and yet can fetch better prices.

In this intervention they intend to add value to their fruits by making juice,
jam, and wine for both local and export markets. However, their major problem
is lack of adequate capital to buy processing equipment and preservatives.
They also need some further training especially is good quality processing.

Justification
The group is already experienced in the making of jam and have secured a
certificate of quality standard from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards
(UNBS) in jam making. They are in the struggle to secure other certificates of
quality for other products like juice and wine.
The products so far produced are on market demand locally and if more
investment can be made, production will increase to meet the local demand
and the surplus can be exported under a certified quality standard for even a
better price, hence good income to empower these women financially. With
financial empowerment, investment in other income generating projects will be
encouraged thereby improving the livelihoods of their households.

Problem statement
The rural people in Uganda derive their livelihood through agriculture
production and which agriculture is not well developed in terms of scales of
production and marketing. The knowledge and skills acquired by the farmers
through training are practiced on a small scale due to limitations in land sizes
and investment capital.

The little that is produced is affected by the government policy of market

liberalization whereby the buyer is the one to determine the price. The collapse
of the cooperative societies in Uganda likewise affected negatively the
marketing of farmers produce. There is lack of transport in rural areas to take
produce to markets, either due to poor roads or due to high transport charges
levied by the transporters.

Therefore the bulk of the produce is bought at a very low farm gate price by the
middlemen. Secondly, the farm inputs are bought at high prices and the farmer
does not reach the break-even point. Thirdly, the farmers have been selling
their produce individually and under such circumstances the farmer is cheated
due to lack of market information together with limited supply of the particular
produce. Worse still because of the produce being perishable, it is sold at a give
away price.
And now through training and awareness building in both production and
marketing skills, farmers have come up to form groups so that they produce
similar commodities and sell in bulk collectively with a stronger bargaining
power.

They have also decided to add value to their produce by processing into other
products which can sell at better prices and can store for longer periods. In
this way they are targeting both the local and export markets. They want also
to be linked directly to the consumer markets and eliminate the middle men.

Project aim
The project aim is to acquire processing equipment and more trained skills in
processing to meet the standard quality recommendable by the Uganda
National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) for all the products. Once this is
achieved then the group can access all markets available both locally and
externally.

The project specific objectives

 To equip the group members with good processing skills to meet the
consumer standards.
 The group to acquire processing equipment to enable them take up this
project as a business on a sustainable basis.
 To improve the income levels of the participating households for other
investments.
 To create another form of market outlet for the farmers produce.
 To reduce on the perishability of the farmers produce through processing
(value addition).

Opportunities
 The group is determined to take up this project as a business.
 The raw materials are locally grown in the area by the same group
 members, and other members of the community who can supply raw
materials for processing.
 Technical people are available from the collaborating agencies like
Katuka project, NOGAMU and government extension office.
 There is demand for the products in the local markets e.g. schools,
hospitals, shops and supermarkets in Kampala and other towns.
 The group is capable of reaching the market standards as evidenced so
far by the certificate of quality secured for jam product from the Uganda
National Bureau of Standards.

Sustainability
First of all, the group members are ready and willing to grow their own raw
materials which they will use for processing into other products e.g. growing
pawpaws, passion fruits, ovacadoes, pineapples, goose berries and others. The
group will also be buying raw materials from the neighboring farmers. The
trained farmers will be able to train their fellow farmers as more members are
expected to join the group.

Once the initial external funding is made to enable the group purchase the
processing equipment and preservatives, they will be able to generate their own
income to sustain themselves. The group will also be saving some money on
the group account for the running of the group activities and micro-credit
financing to group members as a revolving fund.

Planned activities
 Purchase of training materials, processing equipment and preservatives.
 Collection of local raw materials.
 Training farmers in juice, jam and wine making and proper packaging.
 Farmers start real commercial processing themselves.
 Monitoring activities.
 Marketing products.
 Administration.
 PROJECT WORK PLAN FOR 6 MONTHS
Activity 1st month 2nd month 3rd month 4th month 5th month 6th month
Purchase of training xx
materials, processing
equipment and preservatives
Collection of local raw xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
materials
Training farmers in jam, xx xx
juice and wine making
Farmers start real xx xxxx xxxx xxxx
commercial processing of
products themselves
Monitoring activities:
a) extension officer
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
b) professional personnel x x x
Marketing products xxxx xxxx xxxx
Administration xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
PROJECT BUDGET
Activity Requirements/resources Quantity Unit cost Community From
contribution external
funding
Purchase of training a) Stationery:-
materials, processing - Newsprints 1 ream 50,000= 50,000=
equipment, preservatives - Markers 2 packet 5,000= 10,000=
and raw materials - Masking tapes 2 pieces 3,000= 6,000=

b) Processing equipment::-
- Bottles for wine 200 850= 170,000=
- Bottles for jam 200 850= 170,000=
- Bottles for juice 200 850= 170,000=
- Bottle seals for juice & 400 200= 80,000=
wine
- Labels 600 650= 390,000=
- Juice blender machine 1 1,500,000= 1,500,000=
- Jam blender machine 1 200,000= 200,000=
- Empty jerrycans 10 4,000= 40,000=
- Sauce pans 5 25,000= 125,000=
- Weighing scale 1 500,000= 500,000=
- Sieves 2 3,000= 6,000=
- Funnels 2 3,000= 6,000=
- Buckets 3 10,000= 30,000=
- Measuring cups 6 500= 3,000=
- Spoons 4 500= 2,000=
- Fuel for generator 60 litres 2,600= 156,000=
- Oil for generator 5 litres 5,000= 25,000=
- Charcoal stoves 3 20,000= 60,000=
- Air locks 5 2,000= 10,000=

c) Preservatives:-
- Pectin 5 tines 10,000= 50,000=
- Sugar 100 kg 2,000= 200,000=
 - Citric acid 5kg 12,000= 60,000=
- Sodium benzoet 5kg 12,000= 60,000=
- Wine yeast 5 tins 10,000= 50,000=

d) Raw materials 100,000=

- Pawpaws 500 kg 200= 500,000=
- Avocadoes 500kg 1,000= 350,000=
- Pineapples 10 bags 35,000= 350,000=
- Passion fruits 5 bags 70,000= 200,000=
- Goose berries 10 bags 20,000= 125,000=
- Lemon 5 bags 25,000= 100,000=
- Charcoal 10 bags 10,000=

Sub total 1,725,000= 3,129,000=

Training the group in 1 trainer 3 days 50,000= 150,000=
better quality processing
of jam, juice and wine Transport for trainer 3 days 20,000= 60,000=
Sub total - 210,000=
The group (members) Food for eating while 3 days 20,000= 1,040,000=
start commercial processing per week
processing of products x 14
(jam, juice and wine) weeks=52
days

Labour costs 20 40,000= 2,080,000=

members
@ 2000=
x 52 days
Sub total 3,120,000= -
Monitoring Fuel for motorcycle for 6 months 2,600= 312,000=
extension officer x 20 litres

Fee for professional officer Once per 50,000= 150,000=

 month for
3 months
Sub total - 462,000=
Marketing Transport while looking for Twice per 20,000= 120,000=
markets in Kampala month for
3 months
=6 days

Transporting products to Once per 30,000= 420,000=

market week for
14 weeks

Sub total 540,000= -

Administration costs Telephone (airtime) 3 times 5,000= 360,000=
per week
x 24
weeks

Stationery for report 1 ream 8,000= 8,000=

writing

Typing and photocopying Once per 10,000= 60,000=

month for
6 months

Code numbers from 6,000= 60 360,000=

Uganda national bureau of
standards (UNBS)

Payment for certificates of 2 70,000= 140,000=

quality from UNBS products
Sub total - 928,000=
Total 5,385,000= 4,729,000=
GRAND TOTAL 10,114,000=