Defibering pineapple leaves-A business case

The first business model involves establishment of pineapple fiber processing centers, where defibering of pineapple leaves are going to be done and will also serve as storage and marketing place of processed fibers.
Fiber production requires decorticating machines, stock room, wash and drying facilities made up of stainless sheets which can be fabricated locally. The sources of profit of the business will come from the fibers that will be sold in two recent markets contacts. The fiber production technology is very simple, low cost and the pineapple growers community has direct hold on the raw materials.
The center will cater its services to the poor farmers through employment in the processing center or suppliers of fibers and raw leaves. A mobile decorticating machine shall be acquired to service the processing of fibers in the villages and to provide training to farmers in the fiber production. Part of the services is to provide decorticating machines to farmers in the form of loan and they pay it back partly from the fibers that they make in the center.
Part of business spin –off that will take place in year 5 includes the production of value added products such as Mats, Specialty paper, bags, novelty products and fabric. Women member of the sector will benefit from this as they will be trained and given capitals to produce the product in their backyard. they can generate income after they sell out the output in the center. This source income from this enterprise will bridge the needs of the households.

The ful time labor requirements to run this busness is only 4 persons, to include. Manager, Bookkeeper, Cashier, Decorticating machine technician / operator. The labor in the production will be drawn from the trained farmers. The business will cover the entire county for the start, piloting in four major pineapple produceing sub-counties and the market target coverage is within the South East Asean region, Europe Union & America where fibre bags are needed for export of other agro-goods such as rice etc.
Luwero is the top producer of pineapple particualrly the Formosa or queen variety. There is no region in Uganda engaged actively in producing pineapple fiber. This is the advantabe of the business in terms of marketing since the competition is not an issue yet.
Compare to other fiber products such as abaca, and coconut, pineapple fiber has lesser production cost given the fact that the raw materials can even be had for free or at a very minimal cost some farmers ask for clearing their plantation site and let the leaves taken for free. The machine is pretty much cheaper than the other defibering machines used for coconut, sisal and abaca.
More so, the market of the fibers is available in fact the government of the philippine itself encourage the government agencies to use the pineapple cloth which is basically made up pineapple fibers. (Republic Act 9242-October 2004).
The business center will buy produced fibers from the communities packed, store until the target quota is meet. It will be sold then to market contacts. The farmers can have their profit right after the fibers have been brought to the center.
The unique feature of the business lies in the convertion of leaves -a non value and waste materials into a source of alternative income for the poor farmers. Apart from this, there is a potential to expand the income of farmers through value added products from fibers.

The Entrepreneur & Management
I had a rich experiential background in enterprise managment as I handled community -based enterprises in my work at VEDCO a local NGO engaged in rural development as an intern. I was also a board member of Sustainable Poverty Alleviation Multi Purpose Cooperative. The expereinces I gained from my involvement in the "Integrated Pineapple Project" gave me a broad understanding and competence in fiber production industry. I assisted the poor farmers in the production, processing of fiber and marketing endeavor which give me the leverage to establish contact with the market and buyers. During this period, I was able to realize that for a business to succeed there must be a clear and real demand for the product. There must be comparative advantage in terms of raw materials and labor. The fiber production technology is simple, and one must tap available resources and services to run the business.

Development
The business will generate direct employment to poor pineapple growers, through the community level fiber production. Through this, the poor farmer's household will increase thier income by 30% thereby strengthen their access to avail the basic needs of the family such as health, education and potable drinking water.
A major contribution of this business towards the cause of environemnt will happen on year 5 when the business will expand to transform the fiber into paper bags. this will be sold in markets, stores and groceries. the purpose is to reduce the use of polyethylene bags that causing congestions of drinage systems and pose threat to environment. It will also reduce the cutting of trees for paper production.
Over the short term, the business will directly supplement incomes of poor pineapple farmers. Over the medium term, more value adding production such as paper bags production, handloom fabric weaving, and novelty item production, more livelihood opportunities for more people can be opened. Over the long term, a big boost to environmentalism will be given served through the more widespread use of bio degradable paper bags and significant reduction of use of polyethyelene bags in all markets, malls and store in the province.

Smallholder farmer Musomesa in rural agricultural development?

When I was growing up, little did I know the world was a global village. That we are all spiritually connected by the global challenges of food insecurity and poverty. With a modest education and a little motivation from friends, I learnt that I can be an information broker and a practical teacher in my little village. Having obtained a Diploma in Business Administration from Nkumba University, I realised how difficult urban life was without a job. I fully appreciated my incapacitation amidst a competitive urban environment.

Without a job, I went back home in Luwero to stay with my village relatives. I had grown with them having lost my parents during the war in Luwero. With my Diploma I became an instant consultant on business models, enterprise development while practically tilling my own farm as a business. I had used a computer to access the internet in search for information an opportunity my peers had not come by. With my modest education, I was able identify the competitve advantage of my community. I saw opportunity and satisfaction in being an active community builder.

Due to soil exhaustion my community in Kamira no longer produced bananas it used to produce. The coffee wilt disease as well as the cassava mosaic had broadly undermined rural incomes in Mabuye Village,Kamira Sub-County, Bamunanika County-Luwero District. While I had run away from Kampala due to the harsh urban environment despite my Diploma,many young people were running away from the village despite their lack of education to urban centers to offer unskilled labor. The dream of living a comfortable life in Kampala was real in their minds. But I had practical experience of urban poverty. Initially, those I spoke to thought was just trying to prevent them from getting their own share of the possibilities in the capital. I was saddened that indeed their determination was misplaced. Building our home, our community and preserving our land was the most important priority that mattered.

I identified pineapple growing as a viable economic activity. Through the National Agricultural Advisory Services(NAADS) I was able to obtain scientific information on the feasibility of the project. Initial intensive tests for pineapple growing resulted into massive harvests I shared with a group of other youths including the Local Council leaders for mobilization purposes. Three years now the whole Sub-County has adopted pineapple production. Household incomes have improved and the rate of rural-urban migration has reduced despite the low rate of returns from agricultural activities.

The challenges are many. But what started as a small initiative now is building into a community cooperative with many innovations. One of the challenges farmers face is lack of water. The community is thinking of water harvesting as critical in improving water access especially in schools and at home. We are working with our contacts in the Rotary Community on building solar powered water pumps as well as wind mills.