TERRA NOVA : Composting urban waste
Sorting out urban waste, composting organic part and selling compost to farmers in order to improve crop yield
logo.jpg -
Our slogan : Reinforce the nature !
Terra Nova produces compost, natural fertilizer, by separating and transforming urban waste.
Customers will be farmers from Beira who need to improve crop yields and regenerate soils.
Growing fast, this project will employ a lot of poor people surviving actually from the garbage and avoid most of the future waste enter in the dump.
Facts
2010
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 5,000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 250,000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 900,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | -100000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | -60000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 60,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | 12 |
| This year (forecast): | 30 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 130 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 300 |
Finance needed
| Finance needed for fixed assets (buying of machines, buildings, ...) | 278,000 |
| Finance needed for working capital (salaries, stock, rental, leasing, transport, ...) | 55,000 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 333,000 |
How do you expect this to be financed? Please note: the total amount mentioned here should be equal to the total finance needed at the previous question.
| Own Contribution in cash | 13,000 |
| Loans (debt) | 0 |
| Share capital that you seek from investors (equity) | 50,000 |
| Other sources | 270,000 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 333,000 |
The Business
On the sorting platform, Terra Nova separates organic waste from the rest of the urban waste.
- The main product of Terra Nova is the compost produced through the controlled
decomposition of organic waste. The humus pleasant-smelling compost is sifted before being sold.
Farmers need to increase their crop with fertilizer. Chemicals can’t be used without natural fertilizer that regenerates fragile soils. The demand is very strong because no other quality product is available.
On the sorting platform, Terra Nova separates carefully organic waste from the rest of the urban waste. Then, frequent watering and the mixture helps maintain the ideal conditions for aerobic degradation until total stabilization of compost, obtained in three months.
As the demand is strong and our clients are satisfied with the product, we have a store, located on the production site where clients can buy big quantities. The vendors will ensure the sales to farmers and individuals. The manager (then commercial responsible) will personally take care of the biggest clients and prescribers’ clients. We also have a sale point in residential place every saturday.
1° Farmers and big producers
2° Associations or cooperatives of farmers and prescribers
They make market gardening for the local market, cereal or export crop and already know the benefits of the compost to improve yields.
3° Individuals with garden, horticultist and urban services
These are really interested in a product that can reinforce the sandy soil of their gardens or parks.
The potential market of Beira is 325.000 tons of compost/year.
No other company sells natural fertilizer in Mozambique. Direct competition is informal and disorganized. The availability and quality of products are very uncertain.
The companies selling chemical fertilizers are beginning to show interest in the market of Beira, which underscores its potential for agricultural development.
Face to disorganized almost unavailable competition, our quality compost ready to use, provides a good solution to increase farmers incomes.
The compost can be used alone, or improve chemical fertilizers use.
– In Mozambique, we are the only domestic company that produces a natural fertilizer of quality.
– Economic, agricultural, social and environmental valorization of urban waste originally polluting soil and groundwater and degrading living conditions of the poorest populations.
- Our process of recycling waste permit to decrease emissions of methan and fight against global warming. It allow us to apply for carbon credit.
This first year, efforts where concentrated on improving the efficiency of production and testing the use of compost in agriculture in order to attract customers with appropriate advice. Meanwhile production gradually increased.
The two next years, production will still grow. This will significantly increase the volume of sales while reducing production costs and thereby improving the profits.
The Entrepreneur & Management
Flore Roura, specialized in composting urban waste in tropical countries, has already written a similar project for composting waste in Madagascar where she did her Masters in Business Management.
As coordinator of development projects, she has experience in african development projects, enabling her to adapt easily to the local context. Her initial education as an agricultural technician will be a great asset to help meet target market: farmers.
Flore is already training a multidisciplinary team to support her to manage the project and ensure the production. The young and dynamic team is ready to face the challenge of rapid growth of the project. In addition, the team's cohesion and will to succeed are all enhanced by the strong motivation related to the local, social and environmental development aspect.
Time I will spend in the business will depend on the real needs. Now I use to work on this project from Monday to Friday 40 to 50 hours and often Saturday morning. If needed I can easily be more available.
Development
Terra Nova will permanently improve urban environment, reduce emissions of greenhouse gas, avoid open dump and reduce health due to urban waste.
Compost will restore fragile soils, increase crop yields and living standards of farmers.
Hiring will reintegrate of many de-socialized people, who currently try survive from the dump.
Finally, this project should increase the quantity and variety of vegetables available improving nutrition of citizens.
