BOD’S REPORT RECAP ON DAY 3’s SESSION Prepared by: Sanda, Lin & Ray

Preliminary  Started at 8.55am, 10 minutes late, from scheduled time – 8.45am. This is because we have to wait for few participants who came late.  Start the day with recap of previous day’s session by BOD for that day.  A new BOD was appointed  Mr. Cop had introduced the day’s session and the topic being; Essentials of Enterprise Development; why and how. He further welcome the presenter.  The presenter introduced herself. Name: Ms. Tidarat Tiyajamorn in short (Joo), Silk Net Manager.  A real testimony of Farmers Network – the Silk Net experience

Silk Production/market - SILK NET EXPERIENCE  Silk Net is the name of both the company and it is also the Brand Name of their product  The Silk production started from worms that feed from leaves of Mulberry plant. This plant can grow well in the North east provinces of Thailand which covers around 1/3 rd of the countries land mass.  Sericulture Development in Thailand  This plant does not have season hence it is well suited in this type of climate  Government interested in Silk production because of its potential in this part of the region.  Most of farmers are female, low level of education  Focus – promote community  Thailand Silk is Unique from others, hence there is no competition  Promote their own product  Market is determine by their population  Market Trend - organic, and green hence, this product meets this requirement therefore has high chance of growth

Highlight of main topics covered:  Silk production in community, all process in a family, in every silk villages  Silk Market involves; community to middle man to weaving factories and weavers group to products to Export market and Domestic market.  Communities did not fully satisfied with net income. This is because their hard work did not paid off  Problem like; producers decreased, poor coordination among agencies, weak marketing etc..  This resulted in the establishment of SILK NET.  Development of Silk Net: this is a participatory development process – 2000 Business network

Cont..  Concept in Developing Silk Net e.g. Self- organization, Profit organization  Silk Net Objectives e.g. to increase the efficiency of the groups which are network members  Development Process includes; identify problems and needs, draw objectives and policy, capacity building

Value Chain and Silk Net Intervention  Production Design & Development, Finished Products and Marketing  What they do:  Build up trust among members, Assign selected product to each group, Professional Building, Set up standard price and quality, focus on fabric and finished products, focus on fair trade market, collection based and outsourcing

Summary on feedback from group discussion – lesson learned  Group 1: Issues:  Management By Objectives  Member participation  Involve, group activities  Maximize benefits and reducing cost  Reduce risks associated with suppliers, marketing failures, transportation and others

Cont….  Group 2: Production  Group/clusters – important concept  Women participation  Diversification of products

Cont…  Group 3: Market  SME should increase Investment in production & development to satisfy the Hi-ended market  SME’s should focus on high standard quality to maximize the number of sale hence, increase profitability  Groups involve in the production of raw materials should be encouraged to finished product instead of Export Raw materials.

Cont..  Group 4: Impact of Networking of community Business  Increase productivity  Information sharing is important  Fair trade, better coordination, equal opportunity, cooperation  Create conducive business environment

General feedbacks:  Breakfast, tea break, lunch at kaiamfisher and shopping and dinner at the complex was very good.  Some participants were sleeping during session and BOD had to do energizer to make everyone awake  Suggestion: Serve ginger tea during break time to reduce sleepiness during sessions  The whole day lecture is too much. We can have more energizing exercise every 2-3 hours  Some participants came in late for sessions and it was suggested that those who came in late will be fined for 100bth – can we agree or any suggestion?  Chairs need to be fixed or good chairs to be allocated to ladies  BOD to say word of thanks to presenters from outside at the end of their sessions  When we go for site visit, we suggest that MI to buy souvenir as present to concerned organization. BOD, on behalf of participants, to present the souvenir.  Finally, Mood Parameter – please do not forget to tick your mood before leaving the class at the end of the day

Announcement  Silk product display at 5:00 pm – mekong institute  Trip to Bangkok, we leave here Thursday morning, arrive bangkok in the night. Friday morning – visit to kings palace. Friday afternoon to early Saturday free for shopping. We will depart for khon kaen 2pm on Saturday.  Selection of new BOD.