SHAMS Cooperation

Shams Cooperation aims at creating economic oportunities for agricultural entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. We stimulate social entrepreneurship by stimulating cooperations and reserving part of the proceeds for economic development and primary education.

If there were resources to add value to agricultural products, Afghanistan would have the power ability to make use of its competitive advantages. Northern Afghanistan has the right climate to cultivate sesame seeds. In the months August and September, the market in Mazar-I Shariff gets flooded with these seeds. The problem is that there are not enough resources like storage room and crushing capacity to make sesame oil, and thereby creating value.

During our market research we discovered that there are many sesame seed farmers around Mazar-i Sharif. The seeds are sold at the market and to wholesalers and what is even more interesting is that  90% of the seeds are exported to neighboring countries.

In the summer, there are months without flowing water in Taghai-Khoja, this also means that their water powered grain mill will not be able to function. We therefore supply the farmers of the village with a diesel powered grain mill.

Due to its infancy stages of development, there is no information on how much the farmers are producing and what types of crops are cultivated. Our entrepreneur in Afghanistan keeps a record of the amount of grain he mills and what the proceeds are, as well as asking what other crops these farmers are cultivating.

Project Leader showing us the sesame seeds	All types of grains and oils being sold in the market
Farmers working on land	Farmer who is cooperating with SIFE Tilburg