Grant no. 521-0169-G-00-3038-00 : Caribbean Basin initiative (ESF funds)

The Cooperative League of the U.S.A. (CLUSA) will provide TA to help COOPEP to increase its membership and marketing capability and to expand its member services. CLUSA will provide COOPEP and its members with long- and short-term TA in cooperative management, farm management, animal husbandry and nutrition, production credit, and financial analysis and will help COOPEP to develop a long-term organizational plan and investment strategy. A poultry technician will work directly with COOPEP"s members and its growout manager to reduce chick mortality and improve feed conversion ratios. COOPEP"s program of on-farm and classroom training for members and potential members will be strengthened. Short-term U.S. formal and on-the-job training will be provided to COOPEP"s general manager (management) and growout trainee (U.S. Department of Agriculture poultry science) and to two COOPEP board members who are medical doctors (poultry pathology and nutrition). The project will also purchase equipment for feed milling, production, and marketing, and will help COOPEP establish a revolving fund to provide production credits, in the form of inputs, to COOPEP members. By project end, COOPEP"s membership will have approximately doubled and its capability for marketing members" produce will have increased from 20% to 75%.