Structure
Zranwiha is a palm oil producer group located in Bloleu, Sangouine Sub-Prefecture, Man Department, Ivory Coast.
This grouping was created in April 2001 and includes 15 active members. The current President of the group is Oulaï Françoise.
The group benefited from « PNDU » financing for the creation of a red oil production unit for the benefit of the Zranwiha group. Thus the group has a store, an oil press, 6 barrels, 4 basins, 3 mortars and 1 tricycle for the evacuation of the red oil and for the supply of the unit in seed of webbed.
Seed supply is made from locally grown palms present in the members’ own fields and from the purchase of seed of improved varieties harvested in private fields from neighboring villages.
Note that the production of palm oil within the unit is seasonal and runs from January to August for seeds of improved variety (which produce oil of lower quality) and from March to May for Local variety seeds that produce a better quality oil.
The unit has a production capacity of 2500 liters / day but to date, the unit produces an average of 670 liters of oil per week.
The marketing is done on the local market in packaging supplied by the customers. The price varies according to the periods of abundance or not and according to the type of seed used for the manufacture of the oil. Oil produced from local variety seeds remains more expensive than oil produced from seed of improved variety.
The main difficulties lie in:
- Irregular supply of raw materials such as palm seeds.
- The press is unsuited to the treatment of local variety seeds and causes multiple breakdowns.
- The members of the group are not sufficiently aware of the cooperative spirit.
- Marketing techniques are not sufficiently mastered by members of the group
- The members of the group do not master the techniques of labeling of their mountain origin production which remains of better quality and much sought after on the market.
Project
The following activities are to be organized:
- Train members in a cooperative spirit
- Train members in product labeling techniques for mountain areas
- Acquire production equipment suitable for both local variety and improved varieties
- Support with local product promotion and local product sales
Topics of interest for the forum
- Train members in product labeling techniques for mountain areas