Founding the “Izvorul Fizesului” cereals producers’ cooperative

Civitas Foundation for Civil Society – Cluj-Napoca Office

The project “Establishment of a vegetable sector producers’ cooperative in the GAL of Câmpia Transilvaniei” provides the support of the grain growers in the GAL of the Transylvania Plain by creating a legal entity that will allow them access to more resources and reduce the production costs. “Izvorul Fizeşului” Cooperative was established with European funds through the Câmpia Transilvaniei GAL with the support of the Civitas Foundation at the end of 2018.

The 10 founding members together have about 1,000 hectares of land, growing corn, sunflower, soybean and wheat. Civitas Foundation supports these producers with assistance in implementing the business plan, finding viable ways to function on the market, organizational and management support. Through this project we aim to develop and implement a business plan for grain growers, assisting in the development and internal functioning of the cooperative and providing advice on fundraising. The headquarters of the “Izvorul Fizeșului” cooperative are located in the village of Cătina, in the commune of the same name.

The cooperation between grain producers will allow joint technology investments that they need in order to improve their supply of products delivered on the market, both in terms of quantity and quality. In the first phase the project will include documentary visits, focus groups and a collection of data relevant to the food market, standards and best practices in the industry, data on competitors, or innovative brands to establish internal values, brand name, logo choice or for the development of the identity manual – aspects necessary for the future development of the cooperative.