Barwaaqo Marketing and Catering Services

Barwaaqo Marketing and Catering Services (BMCS) is run by a woman who also owns a 100 hectare farm and is the chairwoman of the 633 member Barwaaqo Farmers’ Cooperative. BMCS is a crop collection, storage, and marketing service for farmers in six villages in the Gabiley District of Somaliland. Through this model, BMCS ensures the farmers receive a fair transportation arrangement, fair market price, and that most of their goods reach market, while at the same time creating a reliable revenue stream for BMCS. BMCS sought a loan to increase its cold storage capacity and buy a vehicle to transport the goods to the market.

With financing facilitated by Shuraako, BMCS was able to purchase a refrigerated truck and refrigerated crop storage facility. Increasing the company’s cold storage capacity has increased the shelf life of goods and yielded higher revenue for the farmers who supply the cooperative. This investment has generated seven permanent jobs and benefitted smallholder farmers by offering them an alternative market linkage that offers higher upfront payments, as compared to middlemen.