Announcement for a Consultancy Service on Capacity Assessment of Upscaling of Mustard Oil Processing Facility

Announcement for a Consultancy Service on

Capacity Assessment of Upscaling of Mustard Oil Processing Facility in Mainapokhar, Bardia

1. Introduction

NACCFL, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) is implementing a project “Improved Food and Nutrition Security Through Diversified Income Generation and Empowerment under the GAFSP Program in Bradiya", under the financial support of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP). The project aims to improve food and nutrition security, livelihood resilience, and income for vulnerable and marginalized households in Bardiya, with a strong focus on gender and social inclusion. It promotes climate-resilient agriculture, delivers essential inputs and services, and supports production and marketing of commodities, special focus on mustard oil promotion through cooperatives in Mainapokhar, Padnaha, Kalika, Deudakala, and Basgadhi.

The Mainapokhar Small Farmer Agriculture Cooperative Limited (SFACL) in Bardiya is the leading cooperative to produces mustard oil through its traditional oil mills and sell in the peripheral markets. However, these mills are operating under low extraction rate, mustard farming has become an important income source for local communities. The GAFSP project intends to conducta capacity assessment of the mustard oil processing facility in the project area to identify production constraints, mustard production potentials, technological and infrastructural needs, local and outside market potentials, competitiveness (in terms of price, quantity, quality, standardization), and institutional readiness for scaling up to meet growing market demand.

2. Problem Statement

The existing mustard oil facility at Mainapokhar has limited production capacity due to outdated machinery, inadequate infrastructure, and low technical know-how in mustard production and oil processing endowments. This has restricted its ability to meet market demand and expand operations. A systematic capacity assessment is therefore essential to identify these gaps and provide practical recommendations for efficient and sustainable upscaling of the oil processing plant establishment.

3. Objectives

The main objective of the assessment is to assess the technical, financial, managerial, institutional, and operational, areas of the mustard oil processing facility and recommend improvements required for effective upscaling.

4. Scope of Work (SOW)

• Analyze the existing and potentiality of mustard production for at least 10 years in the project areas.
• Assess the existing oil processing facilities, and recommend the optimum requirements of oil processing plant to ensure capturing the potential mustard production.
• Identify key technical, managerial, financial, operational, and institutional bottlenecks.
• Conduct of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the facility, in the context of upscaling.
• Estimate additional machinery, infrastructure, and resources required for scaling up.
• Recommend a list of machinery upgrades / new equipment with rough cost estimates, space/utility requirements, and phasing of up‐scaling.
• Assess institutional and management readiness for expansion.
• Recommend a practical, costed, and phased plan for upscaling the facility.

5. Methodology

A following method will be used to ensure the practicability and reliability of findings:

• Desk Review: Review of relevant document, policies including rules and regulations, manuals, technical specification on mustard oil processing, equipment/machinery specifications.
• Site Visit and Technical Audit: On-site assessment of the existing facility at Mainapokhar – mapping of plant layout, machinery, storage, utilities and operation.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Consultations with government officials, producer organization, technical experts, private sectors, and key stakeholders.
• Gap Analysis & Equipment Requirement Estimation: Based on the existing and targeted capacity, identify required additional machinery/infrastructure.
• Analyze and recommend guidelines to ensure the processing plant will be efficiently operationalized.

6. Area of Implementation

Venue: Small Farmer Agriculture Cooperative Limited Mainapokhar, Bardiya

Date: To be confirmed

Resource Person: To be confirmed

7. Deliverables

• An inception report including a detail assessment methods/approach to ensure that the assessment will be completed within the stipulated timeframe after one week of the agreement. The inception report may include the contents of the report as specified in the SOW
• Submission of a draft report by seven weeks of submitting the inception report. The consultant will give a presentation to the officers of MOALD, NACCFL, FAO, SFACLs, and relevant stakeholders seeking feedback.
• Submission of the final report incorporating the feedback of the experts by ten weeks of the agreement.