Cooperatives Development
MANDATE OF THE DIRECTORATE
The Directorate is mandated to facilitate and support the development of businesses to ensure transformation of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. The directorate contribute towards the achievement of the strategic goal of increased profitable production of food, fibre and timbre products by all categories of producers and also respond to Key Outcome 7: Vibrant and equitable sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all.
FUNCTIONS OF THE DIRECTORATE
The following are the functions of the directorate:
- Develop policy, norms and standards for SMME development in the sector;
- Develop strategies and programmes to support the development of SMME’s in the sector;
- Coordinate government departmental and provincial policy inputs and programmes with regard to SMME’s in the sector
- Manage the implementation of SMME’s development policies;
- Encourage and facilitate entrepreneurial development in the sector;
SUB-DIRECTORATES
The Directorate: Cooperatives and Enterprise Development comprise of the following three sub-directorates:
- BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (BD)
The purpose of the Sub-directorate: Business Development is to assist in the creation, expansion and rehabilitation of businesses to become profitable and sustainable for growth and wealth creation based on mutual gains in the agricultural sector.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SUB-DIRECTORATE
The sub-directorate provides support to SMME’s in the sector through the following
- Facilitate the devising of different strategies for business sustainability
- Facilitate mobilization and access to resources
- Maintain linkages with established businesses
- Facilitate devising of alternative growth strategies with regard to expansion, working capital, reduction of transaction costs and niche products to promote business
- Identify and facilitate development of business opportunities and assist in implementation process
- Co-ordinate and support the development of agri-businesses
- Promote and identify terms of partnerships between emerging and established businesses
PRODUCTS /SERVICES
- Monitor the progress of the agribusiness and give appropriate advice
- Link projects with financial institutions for possible funding
- Link projects with financial institutions for possible funding
- Analyze business plans/proposals
- Provide capacity to SMME’s on business planning using the Agricultural Business Plan Guidelines
- Visit projects and do situation analysis
RURAL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (RED)
The purpose of the Sub-directorate: Rural Enteprise Development is to encourage and facilitate entrepreneurial development in the sector.
FUNCTIONS OF THE RED
- Devise entrepreneurial development growth strategies and identify partners;
- Promoting leadership development and entry of high-level skills into the sector;
- Advise on the status and needs of farming and agribusiness;
- Embarking on joint promotional activities to stimulate rural consumption and business interest in the sector;
- Promote and co-ordinate entrepreneurship development linkages;
- Maintain client database;
- Establish and promote mentorship and other support mechanisms;
- Facilitate the implementation and roll-out of the Agri-Appraisal Tool (AAT)
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- The Agri-Appraisal Tool (AAT);
- Identify training requirements through needs analysis;;
- Database information (information regarding the accredited training service providers);;
- Linkages with accredited training service providers;
- Monitoring
COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT (CD)
The sub-directorate: Cooperative Development is responsible for the development of smallholder farmers through cooperatives. This is done by way of mobilizing smallholder farmers into various types of cooperatives for collective sourcing of inputs and marketing of produce to take advantage of the benefits of economies of scale.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SUB-DIRECTORATE: COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
- Develop national strategies, norms and standards and framework for the development of cooperatives in the sector;
- Coordinate and support the development of cooperatives in the sector
- Coordinate Interdepartmental policy inputs on cooperative development
- Maintain data base of cooperatives in the sector
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- Facilitate establishment of cooperatives in the sector ( the guidelines to establish cooperatives and the framework for the development of smallholder farmers through cooperatives)
- Strengthen existing cooperatives through implementation of the Farmtogether Cooperative Training programme
- Facilitate mobilization of existing primary cooperatives into commodity based secondary cooperatives (Commodity Approach Model)
- Link cooperatives to support mechanism (finance, markets, value adding and agro-processing, inputs; training and capacity building
- Compile annual reports on the status of cooperatives in the sector (Cooperative Data Analysis System-CODAS)
ACCESSIBILITY TO PRODUCTS/SERVICES THE DIRECTORATE
- Farmers workshops
- Word of mouth (including farmer to farmer)
- Internet (www.daff.gov.za)
- PDA`s
- Media
- Brochures
- Colleges of agriculture
- Project visits
- Identified educational institutions
CLIENTS
- Commodity based SMME’s/ Cooperatives
- Non commodity groups
- Agricultural related businesses
- PDA’s
- Local Government
- Other Government Departments and Institutions
- Non commodity groups
- Industry
- Organised sector structures
- Colleges of agriculture
PROGRAMMES/INSTRUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE DIRECTORATE TO ACHIEVE ITS MANDATE
- Agri-Appraisal Tool (formerly known as the Excellence Model)
- AgriBEE Fund
- Business plan guidelines
- Guidelines to establish cooperatives
- Framework for the development of smallholder farmers through cooperatives
- Farmtogether cooperative training
- Cooperative assessment tool
- Cooperative Data Base (CODAS) www.codas.agric.za
For further information contact the Directorate: Cooperatives and Enteprise Development
Director: Dr Amon MyeniTelephone : (012) 319 8465
Fax : (012) 319 8132
Email :
Street Address |
Postal Address |