June 9-11, 2008, the Xinjiang Farmers Cooperative TOT was successfully completed in Urumqi. The session was a joint activity by the Xinjiang Agricultural Economy Administrative Bureau (AEAB) and SADP Xinjiang field project office. Various topics were covered by Canadian TA and local experts including Co-ops management, decision-making and the newly enacted Chinese Cooperative Law etc. Leaders from successful co-ops shared their lessons and experiences in the course of their co-ops development. Some 42 co-op promoters from different levels of AEAB as well as co-op leaders from all over Xinjiang participated the training.

Based on his understanding of the Chinese situation, Canadian TA Tim Zachernuk shared his knowledge about how to be a good promoter, the agricultural supply chain, SWOT analysis, the logical framework analysis, feasibility analysis and co-ops operation and management. His interactive teaching mode and participatory training method were widely appreciated by the audience. Panel discussions and playing games were also employed to inspire participants in thinking about what is a real farmer co-op, how to be a qualified promoter and how to manage and guide the development of co-ops. Participants were divided into 4 groups (grape, dairy, cotton and pollution-free vegetable) according to their interests and backgrounds. Each group was asked to analyze their problems, challenges and to think about where is the point from where a co-op may be established and benefit farmers, and if a co-op is necessary, how to make short-term and long-term plans to benefit both the co-op and its members. Zhang Jian-Jiang, director of the Xinjiang AEAB, shared his understanding of “the Chinese Farmers Professional Cooperative Law” and other laws and regulations related to the contents. He also talked about some problems and possible solutions in the development of co-ops in Xinjiang.

In the last day of the training, participants visited 2 successful co-ops near Urumqi. The 2 co-ops have built milking centers for small farmers, where farmers feed their animals at home and milk animals in the center. The center also provides veterinary, breeding and sales (feed and milk) services to their members. Milk quality is also checked at each milking. The management of these co-ops is transparent, and members have equal rights in the decision-making process of every issue within the co-op. Participants were deeply impressed and inspired to do a better job after returning home.