From 24-Sep to 02-October 2016, SusV project team and experts Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD)  have conducted the " capacity building need assessment for shrimp cooperatives/cooperatives in building shrimp value chain linkages" in Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau province.

The objective of the activity is to assess status of the organization structure, governance, administration, financial management, the capacity of shrimp farmer-groups/cooperatives management board. It also assess the development of cooperatives/cooperative in the context of agriculture restructuring, public-private partnership promotion and building value chain links. In addition, the activity assess the capacity of farmer groups/cooperatives in organizing group production activities, applying common production procedures and building shrimp value chain links.

Thereout, capacity assessment of the cooperatives/cooperative groups in the organization of production in groups to apply common technical processes and in production links and consumption of the supply chain.

SusV project team and IPSARD experts have conducted surveys, investigations and in-depth interviews with the management board of shrimp cooperatives/farmer groups, the representatives from local government, processing companies and small-scale shrimp producer groups in  Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau province.

SusV project team and IPSARD experts have collected and analyzed relevant data on: operational capacity, financial management, management capacity and the development of shrimp cooperatives/farmers groups in the shrimp industry, the participation level of shrimp cooperatives/farmer groups in the shrimp value chain and the link between shrimp cooperatives/farmer groups with purchasing and processing companies. They stuied the local policies for the shrimp industry and cooperatives/farmer groups in building the shrimp value chain.

Based the assessment’s findings, the consultant team will synthesize the report and propose recommendations for the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the project and the stakeholders on solutions to improve capacity, restructure cooperatives/farmer groups to fit the context of agricultural restructuring and production/consumption linkage building in the shrimps value chain.

The Dien - ICAFIS