Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) FY 2017 – QUARTER 1 - REPORT

The project is organized into four components, each targeting economic actors along select fruit and vegetable value chains. Component 1: Improve the Quality and Volume of Agricultural Production focuses on improving on-farm productivity and increasing the quality and availability of agricultural inputs. Task 1.A involves improving on-farm productivity through training and technical assistance, while Task 1.B aims to increase the quality and availability of agricultural inputs through the development of local input markets. Component 2: Improve Post-Harvest Handling and Production focuses on facilitating the advancement of cold storage practices and utilizing post-harvest production to reach new markets. Task 2.A involves facilitating the advancement of cold storage practices through the installation of cold storage facilities and the provision of technical assistance, while Task 2.B aims to utilize post-harvest production to reach new markets through the development of value-added products. Component 3: Facilitate Market Linkages focuses on creating new linkages in the domestic market and creating market linkages with new foreign markets. Task 3.A involves creating new linkages in the domestic market through the development of local market infrastructure and the provision of technical assistance, while Task 3.B aims to create market linkages with new foreign markets through the development of export-oriented value chains. Component 4: Link Educational Institutions with Private Sector Demand focuses on linking educational institutions with private sector demand through the development of training programs and the provision of technical assistance. The project will work with educational institutions to develop training programs that meet the needs of the private sector, with a focus on improving the skills and knowledge of agricultural workers. The project will work in 33 districts across 12 of the 13 provinces of Uzbekistan, with activities in at least one district of each province plus the city of Tashkent. The project will focus on edible horticulture, with a particular emphasis on stone fruits, pome fruits, and grapes. The project will also work with women in agriculture, with a focus on improving their access to markets and increasing their incomes. The project has made significant progress in its first quarter, with the hiring of local field assistants and the establishment of a project office in Tashkent. The project has also begun to develop its monitoring and evaluation framework, with a focus on tracking progress against its intermediate results and development objectives. The project has also made progress in its administrative activities, with the hiring of a local, sub-national field assistant and the establishment of a project office in Tashkent. The project has also begun to develop its procurement plan, with a focus on ensuring that all procurement activities are in compliance with USAID regulations. Overall, the AVC Activity in Uzbekistan is making significant progress in its first quarter, with a focus on improving the competitiveness and food security of the country's agricultural sector. The project is well-positioned to achieve its development objectives and make a positive impact on the lives of Uzbek farmers and their families.