ADDIS ABABA—Various Cooperative Unions stated that they have been devising possible solutions to the inflation as they have contributing a lot to bridge consumers with producers, providing farmers with quality life as well as creating conducive market environment.
Oromia Coffee Growers Cooperative Union Head Dejenie Dadi told The Ethiopian Press Agency(EPA) that cooperative unions have been playing a significant role in avoiding brokers and ensuring farmers and consumers’ sustainable benefit as reasonable price.
According to the Head, the main aim of their union is to search for a market to help producers and help them supply produces for sale a reasonable price.
Besides, they have been playing dual role: exporting the farmers coffee and enabling the nation to generate foreign currency thereby supporting the national economy.
He further added that farmers have been benefiting out of the foreign currency via purchasing corrugated sheets of iron, grinding mill, and other necessary household equipment.
“The union has accomplished some 338 different projects in Oromia state after having a legal personality.
The major projects completed in the state include schools, roads, grinding mills, warehouses, health centers,” Dejenie stated. DamotaWolayeta Farmers’ Cooperative Union General Manager, DasenaWana on his part said that their union engages in growing coffee, soya bean, maize, wheat, teff, and the likeswith which it provides local community as well as exporting the various items to different countries.
Besides, the union is engaged in other social service actions like constructing as well as reconstruction houses for the elderly.
The General Manager said, “The union has a capital of 85 million birr and over 50 permanent employees are making a living working for it at present.
It has also annually hired more than 3,000 employees on temporal basis. Simply, the unions are playing a decisive role in creating a number of job opportunities for many citizens and getting unemployed fellow citizens engaged.”
BY MESERET BEHAILU
The Ethiopian Herald 12 February 2022
