Agricultural Value Chains Project - Year One Workplan (May-September 2014)

The project is funded under the Feed the Future initiative and works in 20 districts in Khulna, Barisal, and Dhaka Division. AVC has conducted contextual analyses for more than sixteen food and non-food value chains and has preliminarily selected eight value chains for conducting end market research. The selected value chains include Ground nut, Tomato, Flowers, Natural Fibers, Potatoes, Pulses, Spices, and Mango. To complete the end market analyses, AVC will adopt a two-phased approach. Phase I will initiate end market research for Ground nuts, Tomatoes, Flowers, and Natural Fibers, beginning in May, and will delineate roadmaps with initial interventions by July. Preliminary interventions for the upgrading process for Phase I value chains will be implemented in August and September. The demand for groundnuts and groundnut products has been increasing at an annual rate of five percent in Bangladesh. The current demand for groundnut is approximately 60,000 metric tons, with industrial uses exceeding 50,000 metric tons per annum and the remaining 10,000 metric tons consumed as roasted groundnuts. Groundnut is a key ingredient for various industries in Bangladesh, including Chanachur, biscuit and bakeries, ice cream, hotel and restaurants, and oil. The demand for tomatoes in Bangladesh is approximately 300,000 MT, with industrial uses amounting to slightly over 10,000 metric tons per year. Due to the rapid growth of Bangladesh's middle-income population, the demand for industrial products such as sauce and ketchup is increasing at more than 10 percent per year. Bangladeshi farmers are currently producing approximately 255,000 MT of tomatoes, with the remaining demand being met by imported products from neighboring countries. AVC will conduct an end market value chain study of the high-value crop groundnut and delineate a roadmap to upgrade the "links" that can serve the end-markets more efficiently and effectively. The project will also conduct end market research for the other selected value chains, including Tomato, Flowers, Natural Fibers, Potatoes, Pulses, Spices, and Mango. The project has reached a critical threshold in its first year, with largely staffed offices in Dhaka and regional offices to be established in Barisal and Khulna Divisions. AVC has identified eight agricultural value chains with the potential for significant development and has completed draft Environmental, Gender, Monitoring and Evaluation, GIS, and Grants Reports/manuals. The project will contribute to three major milestones in the next five months: the submission of an End Market Analyses, Part I for Ground nuts, Tomatoes, Flowers, and Natural Fibers by July 31, 2014; the submission of an End Market Analyses, Part II for Spices, Pulses, Mango, and Potato by September 30, 2014; and the submission of the AVC Year 2 Work Plan by September 30, 2014. AVC will also launch its Grants program, complete a baseline Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) study, and prepare capacity building plans for partner organizations. The project will also prepare the Year 2 Work Plan, which will outline the steps to be taken in executing the end market analyses process.