Agrifood Consulting International

Better Decisions to Improve Living Standards around the World

ACI BULLETIN JULY 2013

Our quarterly update on Agrifood Consulting International (ACI) activities is ready for your information. We thank you for your cooperation and for helping us address the development challenges in the countries we are working with. Below please find summary information about our ongoing activities. For further information please contact us at aci_us@agrifoodconsulting.com.

ACTIVITIES 2013.
In 2013, ACI completed 7 projects! Completed projects in 2013: Region Asia and Pacific Project Research and Enhancement of Knowledge Products August 2012 to May 2013
The purpose of this project is to evaluate ADB's Operational Plan for Sustainable Food Security in Asia and the Pacific and to prepare a new draft plan for 2013-2020.

Client Asian Development Bank

Vietnam

Market-oriented agro-forestry project in Quang Nam province November 2012 to January 2013
Under this Project in Quang Nam Province, six communes have been supported to improve home and forest gardens. The objective is to support the improved marketing and post-harvest practices of selected agro-forestry produce in the six communes of the extension phase of the project, and to design a work-plan for direct marketing activities for the remaining 4 months of the projects.

Food and Agriculture Organization

Main thematic focus is on agriculture and rural development policy, food security, disaster risk management, and agribusiness development.

Cambodia

Financing of Agriculture in Cambodia August 2012 to March 2013

Preparation of a study on agribusiness value chain financing based on an in-depth survey of 1030 enterprises in Cambodia.

World Bank

India

Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction Institutional Development for a Value Chain Approach to Agribusiness in Bihar (Package 1) March 2012 to April 2013
The objective is to provide capacity building in agricultural value chains and to support the development of a State Agribusiness and Marketing Policy that will guide the development of horticulture sector and to conduct a policy strategic planning process and draft a policy statement to be submitted to the State Government.

Asian Development Bank

India

Advanced Project Preparedness for Poverty Reduction Institutional Development for a Value Chain Approach to Agribusiness in Maharashtra (Package 2) March 2012 to April 2013
(see package 1)

Asian Development Bank

ACI Bulletin: 2013-Q2

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Main regional focus is Asia and the Pacific.

Nepal

Agricultural Development Strategy April 2011 to June 2013

To help the government to prepare a comprehensive development strategy for agriculture based on an analysis of the policy sector situation and wide stakeholder consultation.

Asian Development Bank Chemonics/USAID

Nepal/Bangladesh

Lentil Export Market Study January 2013 to May 2013

The objectives are to identify alternative rapidly growing export markets and attract major buyers to source lentils from Nepal, and to secure and stabilize the present main export market for Nepalese lentils to Bangladesh.

Ongoing projects in Q2 of 2013: Vietnam Consulting Services Studies on Master Plan for Provincial Livestock Slaughtering Capacity Improvement Under Livestock Competitiveness and Food Safety November 2012 to September 2013
The project development objectives are to increase the competitiveness of household-based livestock producers by improving productivity and quality of livestock production, enhance the value of product through slaughter and distribution, and reduce the environmental pollution in livestock product supply chains from farm to table.

MARD/World Bank

Vietnam

Agricultural Competitiveness Project January 2011 to December 2013

The project development objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of smallholder farmers, with a focus on 8 provinces in central Vietnam, in collaboration with the agribusiness sector.

MARD/World Bank

Vietnam
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LIFSAP Socioeconomic Baseline Survey November 2010 to December 2014

The purpose is to conduct a detailed baseline survey of the livestock sector in Viet Nam for 17 provinces for the Livestock competitiveness and Food Safety Project.

MARD/World Bank
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Nepal

High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement (HIMALI) Assignment: Package 1 PMU Management Consultant and NGO Management February 2012 to April 2017
This entails project management and capacity building to increase the income and employment of high mountain people through the value chain development of their agricultural, livestock and Non Timber Forest (NTF) products and improve the rural household livelihoods in high mountain districts of Nepal.

MOAD/Asian Development Bank

Nepal

High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement (HIMALI) Assignment: Package 2 Agribusiness Capacity Development February 2012 to September 2013
(See package 1)

MOAD/Asian Development Bank

ACI got 4 new projects in Q2 of 2013!

New projects in Q2 of 2013:

Cambodia Cambodia Rice Market Study May 2013 to July 2013
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InfraCo Asia

ACI Bulletin: 2013-Q2

This assignment aims to get an updated assessment of the rice industry in Cambodia; a comparison with the rice industry in Vietnam, Thailand, and India; and a technical assessment of an ongoing joint venture investment in rice milling in Cambodia.

Indonesia

Scoping Study of Access to Rural Financial Services in Eastern Indonesia May 2013 to July 2013
The aim of the services is to inform AIP-PRISMAs planning and preparations in regards to how it can best facilitate access to financial services for its beneficiaries in rural Eastern Indonesia, with specific regard to those services that are likely to promote sustainable increases in income.

AusAID

Myanmar

Enhancing Agricultural Productivity in Myanmar: Agenda for Reform June 2013 to October 2013
Preparation of background paper and policy brief on Enhancing Agricultural Productivity in Myanmar: Agenda for Reform as part of a research project on Agricultural Productivity in CLMV Countries: Opportunities and Challenges. This research project is in turn part of a larger ADBI research project on Sustaining Equitable Economic Development in ASEAN: Narrowing Income Gaps of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (the CLMV countries).

Asian Development Bank Institute

Cambodia

Greater Mekong Subregion Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project PPCR Component March 2013 to July 2013
To assist Cambodia national and provincial government agencies to analyze proposed supplementary activities in consultation with communities involved in the Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project, and other relevant stakeholders.

Asian Development Bank /ANZDEC

The highlights of ACI's work in Q2 of 2013

ACI ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACI now has a presence on social media. See our Facebook (Agrifood Consulting International), Twitter (ACI_inc), Pinterest (Agrifood Consulting), and Instagram (aci_inc) for news updates and collections of photos from our work around the world. GRANT AWARD CEREMONEY FOR HIMALI PROJECT On June 30th, the HIMALI Projects first distribution of grants took place with a grant commitment certificate ceremony. The Agriculture Minister, the Honorable Tek Bahadur Thapa Gharti, opened the ceremony and, together with the ADB Country Director, Kenichi Yokoyama, distributed the certificates and gifted each awardee with khada (Tibetan ceremonial scarf). Twenty nine agribusinesses, from six districts, were awarded the grant commitment. The grant amounts varied from $10,000 to $93,000.

ACI Bulletin: 2013-Q2

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The HIMALI Project is in the lead among grant projects being implemented in Nepal. The HIMALI ACI team, supported by management, has been working hard to achieve results and contribute to the Projects success. The agribusinesses that received the commitment certificates have started implementing their projects, contributing to district and regional development of High Mountain Regions of Nepal. Sanu Sherpa, from Dolakha, can now improve his yak cheese production, thanks to the HIMALI grant. At present, more than 10% of his cheese production is being wasted, due to poor storage; he has also had problems with poor milk quality, owing to animal sickness and milk collection hygiene. With the grant, Mr. Sanu Sherpa will build new cheese storage facilities in Dolpa and Kathmandu, his market area. He will provide 30 farmers with dairy equipment, antiseptic products, medication for their yaks and seed to improve their pastureland. Mr.Bishal Sherchan, from Mustang, will start his own trout farm, a business he has been hoping to open for a long time; the HIMALI grant has allowed him to realize his dream. With the $93,000 grant, he will build 16 raceways for trout, and a storage and packaging facility. He has already built five raceways. Mustang is a popular tourist destination. The trout that Mr. Sherchan will provide to local guesthouses will markedly improve the quality and variety of food available in the district, and positively contribute to tourism initiatives and incomes in Mustang. ADS FINAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL On July 1, 2013, the ADS Final Report was submitted to the Government. There was a high level ceremony, with Minister and dignitaries. The completion of the ADS was highly commended by media, civil society, development partners, and government agencies. The farmers organizations told of a historic event: for the first time farmers were working on a strategy with the government, partly due to the ADS TA Teams critical role. The Minister of Finance highlighted the ADS in the end of fiscal year Budget Speech as the guiding strategy for the agricultural sector in the next 20 years. Pictured shows Mr. Takashi Matsuo, Director, SARD, ADB Manila, handing over the Agricultural Development Strategy (ADS) Final Report to Honorable Minister Mr. Tek Bahadur Thapa, Ministry of Agricultural Development (MOAD), Government of Nepal, on 1 July 2013 at MOAD Conference Hall in Kathmandu, Nepal LIFSAP SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKSHOPS On Jun 13 and 21, 2013, two workshops were held under the project Master Plan to Enhance Capacity of Cattle Slaughtering at Provincial Levels. The project, funded by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) and the World Bank, organized the workshops in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in order to collect feedback from experts and specialists from many fields for its final report. The project is implemented in all 63 cities and provinces of Vietnam with the objectives of reevaluating the current situation of cattle slaughtering in Vietnam and then giving recommendations for better slaughtering conditions, as well as enhancing food safety and reducing environmental impact in the future. In the two workshops, project consultants gave very informative presentations focusing on the current situation of cattle slaughtering, food safety conditions, slaughterhouse design and land planning for slaughterhouses. After that,
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participants took part in group discussions, where they actively described the specific situations of their own living areas and contributed many suggestions to be reflected in the final project reports. The Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City workshops were successfully held by Agrifood Consulting International (ACI) and positively commended by MARD for their quality. The next workshop will be in Danang City in late July.

ACI TRIP TO ITALY During a brief trip to Italy, ACI staff met with a number of innovative agribusiness owners and experts. With suggestions from Tuscia University Agriculture Department, ACI met with an organic food trader, Antonio Soverino of BioBox. ACI learned about the challenges in organic meat farming at Agriturismo Biobagnolese. At Azienda Agricola Ratano Quatrini ACI learned about the production of extra virgin olive oil from Mr. Ratano, who produces three prize winning olive oils (including the branded Agathos). The olive oil lesson continued at Archibusacci company, where we visited a Frantoio, or an olive oil mill. The final visit was to Azienda Agricola Giovannelli Luigi Martino, an organic chestnut farm. In the visit ACI learned of the blight that has recently affected the chestnut industry in Italy.

ACI Bulletin: 2013-Q2

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THANK YOU
We value your referrals Dont forget to send this newsletter to your colleagues, or send us their e-mail addresses and well do it for you. Also, were always interested in consultants who are good at what they do please contact us with your details or ask your colleagues and friends to get in touch and well take it from there. Keep us up-to-date E-mail us your latest CV and availability details at acijobs@agrifoodonsulting.com. Share what you are doing with us and let us explore exciting joint collaboration opportunities. And like us on Facebook to receive updates and share yours!

Francesco Goletti ACI President

ACI Bulletin July 2013

ACI Bulletin: 2013-Q2

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