Funding Proposal

FUNDING PROPOSAL

PROJECT CONCEPT

Value addition of farm produce through:

i) Cleaning, sorting and grading

ii) Storage

iii) Processing

iv) Packaging

v) Marketing

vi) Waste management

CLEANING, SORTING AND GRADING

Most of farm produce reaches the market soiled, with blemishes and not graded. The process of cleaning, sorting and grading adds value as quality produce fetches better prices.

STORAGE

Fresh produce has very short shelf life. Because most of fresh produce production in Kazakhstan is dependent on rains, gluts during harvest depress prices; and shortages which occur almost immediately after harvest forces prices upwards. Appropriate storage which would increase shelf life by a couple of months will create a window of opportunity........ buy low during gluts and sell high during shortages.

PROCESSING

Most fresh produce is sold raw for further processing by traders in urban areas. Potatoes for example are sold as ware but a large proportion is consumed as chips after further processing. Processing adds value, widens market coverage, meets customer preferences, reduces waste and simplifies waste management.

PACKAGING

Appropriate packaging improves product appeal, widens market reach and meets sanitary requirements.

MARKETING

Most farm produce go through a lengthy route from the producer to the consumer. Midlands marketing strategy is to reduce this route, create awareness of available goods amongst consumers and generally increase the farmers share of the realizable price.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Midlands is a multi-crop processor based in the temperate zones of Kazakhstan. The lead crops include:

i) Potatoes

ii) Crucifers

iii) Peas

iv) Carrots

v) Tropical herbs

Although the core business is agro-processing, Midlands has a...