Imai Farming CooperativeProcessing unused surplus crop yields into value-added products



The IMAI Farming Cooperative has developed a sustainable business processing surplus vegetable crop yields into the value-added food product “achar”. This avoids wasting surplus vegetables and generates additional income. Non-sustainable farming techniques and post-harvest storing methods are responsible for the loss of large amounts of crops in South Africa. IMAI has developed an innovative approach to fighting these losses, chopping the surplus vegetables into small pieces and storing them in an acidic solution to create different types of “achar”. The shared agro-processing plant and sale of achar brings the value chain one step closer to local farmers, giving them an additional source of income.
Partners
IFACO initiated the project and has started processing the first vegetables to produce achar.
The Independent Development Trust (IDT) is helping the initiative to acquire funds to develop the first vegetable-processing plant.
The South African Department of Agriculture supports farmers with the necessary resources and training to enable them to work productively and sustain their livelihoods.