Increased production by members, improved marketing and financial sustainability

Partnership between CDRA and Agriterra started in 2013. After shift in Agriterra's approach of having a business advisor based in Zambia, he conducted an organisation assessment to better understand the performance and proposed way forward of the partnership. The organization assessment report is available in which joint activities and objectives have been elaborated. Having been dependent on Agriterra funding since 2013, CDRA now needs to transition into a more financially independent association. Financial independence was already identified as a key point of improvement in the Financial Health Check of 2015, when it was recommended to elaborate a scenario if Agriterra would pull out. Now that Agriterra is reducing funding, such a plan is very timely en necessary. CDRA has business ideas that are credible in boosting financial sustainability in future, but the organization needs guidance on how to achieve its objectives in such a more business-oriented fashion for instance in terms of marketing rice and facilitating access to credit. CDRA is open to facilitate cooperation in the regional context with IDRA and other associations nearby as it has done in the past through exchange visits. Seed production, milling and collective marketing are areas that could be taken up jointly in the region.