Success Stories
Kazakhstan

"Azamat" Public Union of Farmers Develops Member Database and Services

With the help of EDP’s Association Development Program (AD Program), the Azamat Public Union of Farmers (Azamat PUF) has become an important representative of farmer interests and a source of needed agricultural services.

The Union actively protects and promotes the interests of its members on critical issues such as land registration, water price reduction, irrigation system improvements, the provision of free chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. Consulting services provided by the Union assist members with agricultural issues, and with searches for suppliers, consultants and grant organizations. In addition, through the member services provided by Azamat PUF, farmers are able to access a machine and tractor station, and are able lease refrigerated storehouse space for fruits and vegetables.

Azamat PUF was established n 2001 by farmers of Malovodnoye village, located in Amaty Oblast, Yenbekshi-Kazakhsky region. The Azamat PUF was officially registered in April 2002 and is now actively working with 50 farmers rendering services to 200 of the total 250 farmers of the region.

In April 2004, Azamat PUF began its partnership with the EDP AD Program. AT that time, the Union did not use workplans; instead it acted as a reactive body, responding to problems as they emerged. In August 2004, with the help of the AD Program specialists, a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) was developed for the Union for 2004-2005. The SAP identified a number of problems and developed strategies to address weakness in the Union. Problems identified included: lack of budgeting, financial, and business planning; weak membership services; lack of marketing strategy; ineffective organizational structure; inadequate liaison skills and approaches to government relations on the oblast and state level; and, weak policy research and advocacy skills.

A number of strategies were developed to address these organizational weaknesses. In the past six months, the “Azamat” PUF has actively implemented the SAP strategies, focusing, in particular on developing member services. With EDP support in 2004, the Union was awarded a British Embassy grant to complete equipping a refrigerated storehouse for vegetables and fruits, that Union members could lease. The storehouse has been in full operation as of early 2005, and is currently being used to generate profits for the Union. At present, the Union is setting up an agricultural production processing project that will make fruit drying equipment available for members. In addition, the Azmat PUT plans to open a Consulting Center where member could get advice on agricultural issues.

As a result of its pro-active agenda and service orientation, Union membership is growing. Although 200 of the approximately 250 farmers in the region used the services of the Union in 2004, only 15 were members. Today it has 50 active and fee-paying members, and plans to have 50 more active members by the end of 2005.

According to Serikpai Sopakov, the “Azamat” PUF Chairman, “Before the SAP was developed we did not have clear objective and long-term development programs for our Union. Since we developed and began implementation of the plan, we have completed 50% of our objectives and have added 15 farmers as Union members. We are grateful to the EDP for its participation in our activity and especially for the strategic planning consultations provided by Yelena Chekrygina, the AD Program Consultant, and for the meeting with Ed Beaman, Chairman of the Iowa Agro-business Association. Thanks to this meeting we learned many new things about the development and work of associations in the U.S”.

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