Story about Cooperative “Shua Chakvi”

ENPARD to introduce ‘Shua Chakvi’ as another successful cooperative supported by its partner UNDP Ajara

For a long time, a group of farmers from Chakvi, in the region of Ajara, have owned a neglected plot of land which includes an empty building.

To effectively make the most of the land as a source of income the group chose to join forces to share responsibilities.

After deciding to create a chicken farm, the farmers registered themselves as a cooperative and contacted ENPARD for support. With limited experience in their chosen field, many of the members had a great interest in education, learning and gathering profit-oriented skills.

The cooperative received funding from an ENPARD partner UNDP Ajara grant in October,2014 eventually awarded with three incubators for the best business project.

Parnavaz Tsetskhladze, a member of the ENPARD supported cooperative, tells us more about the project:

Why did you decide to create the cooperative and what did you learn from the experience?

None of us had experience in poultry farming and we hadn’t heard about cooperatives before. It was when I visited a friend who owned a farm that I learned about the great opportunities of operating together. As we already owned the premises, we decided to create a cooperative. After applying with the business plan and participating in trainings, our cooperative was supported with the incubator as a grant.

Why did you choose poultry farming?

We own three incubators and our domestic chickens are sold 20 days after hatching. We also raise broiler chickens to sell. Mainly we are interested in broiler poultry, but we also breed ducklings and other chickens. Now we are also focused on expanding the business.

How many chickens hatch per month?

We have been operating for a month and a half and so far 700-800 chickens have hatched. We plan to accept orders in the future, which will increasethe quantity.

Domestic chickens and ducklings will be bred until the end of September, while the broiler chickens will continue breeding for the whole year.

Although we are planning to renovate and expand the project with the help of our income, so far we are very happy with the cooperative. The responsibilities are shared among the members. For example, one looks after the chickens and another brings food. Thanks to the high quality of our product, the cooperative is truly efficient.  Recently we applied for cages and a mill and if we get another grant, our expenses will be reduced.