Farmer's Collective Agency
Farmers Collective Agency
Ruru Multipurpose Cooperative members proudly display their freshly produced jaggery.
At Heifer, we help smallholder farmers transform their cooperatives into dynamic business hubs that drive rural development, improve livelihoods, and strengthen food systems. Farming in Nepal can be isolating, with limited access to markets, finance, modern tools, and reliable buyers. Cooperatives enable farmers to pool resources, make collective decisions, and operate as unified agribusinesses, increasing bargaining power, productivity, and access to better markets and services.
Heifer supports farmers to form self-help groups, providing training in financial literacy, business planning, gender equity, and sustainable farming. These groups often evolve into registered cooperatives, unlocking formal market access, financing, and government support. Cooperatives serve as rural enterprise centers offering:
- Access to Finance: Loans for livestock, equipment, and agribusiness ventures
- Market Linkages: Direct connections to buyers and high-value markets
- Training & Capacity Building: Skills in farming, cooperative management, digital tools, and proposal writing
- Climate-Smart Solutions: Adoption of sustainable practices and improved technologies
Cooperatives also promote inclusive participation, particularly for women and youth, in agriculture, leadership, and decision-making. This shared ownership approach strengthens resilience, improves food security, and fosters sustainable rural economies.
Examples of Heifer-supported successful cooperatives include:
Ruru Multipurpose Cooperative (Gulmi): Established under the IALVC project, it modernized traditional jaggery production in Rurukshetra, introducing sustainable technologies, governance and financial training, product diversification, and fair pricing. Supported by the Agriculture Knowledge Center and government agencies, it secured NPR 3.5 million, obtained food-grade certifications, and registered “Thorgeli” as a trademark. The cooperative now unites 103 sugarcane farmers (41% women, 90% youth), expanded cultivated land from 137.33 to 162.76 hectares, and revitalized fallow areas. Its processing center created eight full-time jobs, increased farmgate prices from NPR 7–8 to NPR 11.5/kg, and ensured timely payments. Farmers’ incomes now range from NPR 10,000 to 211,200. In five months, the center procured 270.29 MT of sugarcane worth NPR 3.21 million, introduced value-added products, and achieved total sales of NPR 44.74 million.
Jaggery Data – FY 2025 (Up to July 14, 2025)
Sugarcane Purchase Quantity | 270,288 |
Sugarcane Purchase Amount | NPR 3,212,239 |
Gud and Khudo (Jaggery and Sugarcane Syrup) Sales Quantity | 18738.65 |
Gud and Khudo (Jaggery and Sugarcane Syrup) Sales Amount | NPR 4,474,073 |
Ruru Multipurpose Cooperative Expenses | NPR 1,149,000
|
Ruru Multipurpose Cooperative members pose together with packaged jaggery produced by the cooperative.
Safal Cooperative (Chitwan): Operates a modern turmeric processing center with a daily capacity of 1,000 kg, producing fresh seeds, dried slices, and turmeric powder (200g/500g). With IALVC support, Heifer provided technical training, equipment, and capacity-building. Safal sources turmeric at fair prices, ensures quality control, and promotes organic practices. Branded as Chandra Surya Turmeric Powder, products reach local markets, health food stores, and international export markets, strengthening the turmeric value chain and rural economic growth.
Turmeric Data 2025 (January 2025 – October 2025)
Turmeric (Turmeric Seed, Fresh Turmeric, Turmeric Slices, Turmeric Powder) purchase Volume | 43000 |
Turmeric (Turmeric Seed, Fresh Turmeric, Turmeric Slices, Turmeric Powder) Purchase Amount | NPR 1505000 |
Turmeric (Turmeric Seed, Fresh Turmeric, Turmeric Slices, Turmeric Powder) Sales Volume | 18186.65 |
Turmeric (Turmeric Seed, Fresh Turmeric, Turmeric Slices, Turmeric Powder) Sales Amount | NPR 2228911
|
Galdha SEWC (Palpa): Addresses challenges in Nepal’s ginger sector, which contributes 1.64% to agricultural GDP but faces outdated methods, rhizome rot, weak storage, and market access issues. Heifer supported the cooperative to establish a 500 MT annual capacity processing center, replacing fire-curing with solar drying for improved quality and sustainability. The initiative produces ginger powder and dried slices, with branding and marketing support, benefiting 272 farming families and enhancing the competitiveness of the local ginger value chain.
Through these cooperatives, Heifer demonstrates how collective action, sustainable practices, and market-oriented strategies can transform rural enterprises, increase incomes, and build resilient farming communities.
Ginger Data (January 2025- October 2025)
Quantity of Dried Ginger Slices Exported to Germany-14,560 packets
Amount earned from Dried Ginger Slices Exported to Germany: NRP 7,191,184
Quantity of Beans Exported to Germany-19,475 kgs
Amount earned from beans exported to Germany-NRP 3,895,000
