The Farmers Production Cluster (FPC)-Grain project focuses on six primary crops: teff, maize, wheat, malt barley, soybean, and sesame. It follows a structured growth model with five distinct stages: pre-basic, basic, intermediate, advanced, and production company. Each stage has specific criteria that must be met in order to transition to the next phase of growth. The geographic coverage aligns with the ACC woreda distribution in the Amhara, Oromia, the former SNNP, and Tigray regions. The project aims to cover 291 woredas by targeting 2.5 million smallholder farmers and organizing them into 62,500 cluster groups.
The FPC project’s interventions are structured around three key support areas: formalization, capability building, and value chain support. Formalization involves assisting cluster groups in achieving official recognition through registration, certification, and incorporation. Capability building focuses on providing onboarding training and equipping member farmers with skills in cluster governance and business management. Value chain support delivers targeted interventions across critical segments of the crop value chain, including input supply, extension services, production, and market access, to enhance the overall efficiency and impact of the clusters.