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Better Decisions to Improve Living Standards around the World

ACI BULLETIN OCTOBER 2013

Our quarterly update on Agrifood Consulting International (ACI) activities is ready for your information. We appreciate your cooperation and help in addressing the development challenges in the countries we work with. Your support is crucial to the success and we want to provide a brief summary information of our ongoing activities. For further information please contact us at aci_us@agrifoodconsulting.com.

ACTIVITIES 2013:
Completed Projects in 2013
Region Cambodia Project 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.

Client World Bank

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

Vietnam

Market-oriented agro-forestry project in Quang Nam province November 2012 to January 2013
Under this Project 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

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 objective is 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

Asia and Pacific

Research and Enhancement of Knowledge Products August 2012 to May 2013

Asian Development Bank

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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.

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

Nepal/Bangladesh

Lentil Export Market Study January 2013 to July 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.

Chemonics/USAID

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

Indonesia

Scoping Study of Access to Rural Financial Services in Eastern Indonesia May 2013 to September 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

Ongoing projects in Q3 of 2013:

Cambodia Cambodia Rice Market Study May 2013 to October 2013
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.

InfraCo Asia

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

MARD/World Bank

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provinces in central Vietnam, in collaboration with the agribusiness sector.

Vietnam

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 December 2013
(See package 1)

MOAD/Asian Development Bank

New projects in Q3 of 2013:

Myanmar Seed Industry in Myanmar August 2013 to October 2013
In collaboration with national experts, ACI prepared a policy brief for the development of the competitive seed industry in Myanmar that was discussed at the Myanmar Policy Forum in Nay Pyi Taw in August 2013.

World Bank

Cambodia

Cambodia Agriculture in Transition August 2013 to January 2014

The project will provide evidence based assessment of structural changes in the agriculture sector over the last decade based on financial and economic analysis of farming systems. The project will also develop scenarios for future agriculture growth pathways, based on expected changes in consumer demand, trade patterns and implications of climate change, and deeper analysis of dynamics between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.

World Bank

Regional- East Asia

Feed Scoping Study Scoping Study on the Challenges for the Animal Feed Complex in East Asia September 2013 to January 2014
This study will examine the transformation of agri-food systems in the region, what has happened, what paths have been followed by the developed and more advanced economies and what is the state of transition in the other countries. The study will also look at the key challenges that they will be facing in the next 10-20 years, the key policy questions at stake, the potential scenarios of evolution and the main options and related trade-offs for governments in terms of policies and investment support programs that would facilitate the needed transition/transformation.

World Bank

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The highlights of ACI's work in Q3 of 2013

New Project: Cambodia Agriculture in Transition At the end of August, ACI started a new project in Cambodia. The World Bank under request by the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has commissioned a diagnostics study to answer questions about the possible directions of transformation of Cambodia agriculture over the coming decades, and its implication on farm incomes. The study combines the analysis of the change of farming systems in Cambodia over the past decade with the review of agricultural development experiences in the region to develop agriculture development scenarios until 2030. Agrifood Consulting International (ACI) carried out the Agrarian Structure Study in 2004-2005 for the World Bank and this study provides a benchmark for the comparison of farming systems in a 10 year period. ACI will also be implementing a diagnostic study. On September 18th, a stakeholders consultation workshop on Cambodia Agriculture in Transition: Opportunities and Risks. was held in Phnom Penh. Stakeholders gathered to discuss changes in Cambodias agriculture and to make recommendations for the approaches of the project. The workshop included representatives from the Cambodia SNEC, MAFF, USAID, FAO, SNV, WFP, AusAID, and more. The projects consultant team spent four days training a Cambodian field team on the approaches and methods to use in the interviews, surveys, and group discussions that took place throughout the provinces of Cambodia. From there, the team split up between six different provinces: Kampong Cham, Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, Battambang, and Bantey Meanchey. The field team focused on four different commodities including rice, maize, cassava, and vegetables. The pictures below show the projects field team training, some of the stakeholders at the consultation workshop, individual farmer interviews and focus group discussions.

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Womens cooperative in Mustang, Muktinath benefits from HIMALI Grant The Muktinath Seabuckthorn Industry, a women-owned cooperative in Mustang, received a HIMALI grant for the production of seabuckthorn (tora) and apple juice. Thanks to the grant, the cooperative will be able to construct a processing unit, purchase new equipment and properly manage its already established tora orchard. The plan includes installing an irrigation system, to achieve higher yields. On September 12th, the cooperative contact person, Aangi Gurung, came to the HIMALI/PMU office to share their excitement about a tora bumper crop, and the imminent upgrades to their processing capabilities. HIMALI Local Resource Person Training From September 25-27, the HIMALI ACI Capacity Building team delivered refresher training for Local Resource Persons (LRP). The LRP is responsible for developing business plans that will be acceptable to HIMALI and government officials, and be capable of winning grant support. The LRPs work closely with the Social mobilizers, as well as with Roster Specialists based in Kathmandu. Another Success Story from the HIMALI Project The HIMALI Project provided the Bhelmindo Yak Farming cooperative in Rasuwa with a grant to purchase 60 chauri (crosses of yak and local hill cow). The Chauri produce more milk than regular yaks. As of August 16th, they have sold 3,704 kg of milk to the local District Dairy Cooperation. Myanmar Policy Forum On August 26-27th, Francesco presented a policy brief entitled Developing a Competitive Seed Industry in Myanmar at the Myanmar Policy Forum. The presentation covered the trends, opportunities, constraints and core policy issues of Myanmars seed industry. Francesco also laid out a roadmap of how to move the industry out from its constraints to taking advantage of opportunities. Following the forum, a written report of the policy brief was submitted to the Asian Development Bank.
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Agricultural Competitiveness Project Continues with Success The objective of the Agriculture Competitiveness Project (ACP) is to strengthen the competitiveness of smallholder farmers, with a focus on 8 provinces in central Vietnam, in collaboration with the agribusiness sector. The development objective will be achieved by enhancing smallholders access to markets through the provision of technology services, facilitating farmer organizations and linkages to agribusiness, and the provision of critical public infrastructure. ACI has been working on this project since 2011 with funding from the World Bank and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. ACP has made a number of milestones achieving its development objectives. The project aim to enhance agriculture technology has been successfully achieved. About 20% of the technology interventions have been scaled up after successful adoption by the farmers. In addition, the new technologies have improved the quality of the produce contributing to a 17% and 23.5% higher yield and an increased income for the ACP farmers in comparison to non-ACP farmers. Awareness of the need for chemical residue reduction has significantly increased among the participating farmers. The farmers can now regularly test the chemical residues with the help of test kits provided by the project. Their results show the reduction of chemical residues. The PPs (productive partnerships) of the project have increased the production area by 10%. When participating in PPs, sale value of Farmer Organizations (FOs) have increased by 17.2% with increased productivity and quality. FOs are successfully participating in the project with various Agro-business enterprises including international Hasfarm, Oolong Tea, DalatMilk and many others. Infrastructure support (road, electricity, irrigation, drying grounds and others) has been successfully implemented. Agrifood Consulting International has been providing Technical Assistance since February 2011 with a total of 13 staff including one international consultant, 10 national consultants and two support staff, based in Regional Technical Assistance Office in Da Lat, Lam Dong province. Overall the project is contributing to the agricultural development of Viet Nam with an approach that aims for innovation and sustainability with successful productive partnerships. The lessons drawn and successes will contribute to agricultural modernization of Viet Nam.

Dragon fruit Large field model Roundtable conference on cattle competiveness

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ACI ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACI has grown its presence on social media. Since July, ACI has added a Google Plus page (Agrifood Consulting International) and a profile on slideshare.net (Agrifood Consulting International). You can find presentations from our recent projects on Slideshare.

In addition you can follow ACI on Facebook (Agrifood Consulting International), Twitter (ACI_inc), Pinterest (Agrifood Consulting), Instagram (aci_inc), and YouTube (Agrifood Consulting International) for news updates, collections of photos, and videos from our work around the world.

THANK YOU
We value your referrals Dont forget to send this newsletter to your colleagues, or send us their e-mail addresses and we will do it for you. Also, we are 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 we will 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 October 2013

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