AID cooperative agreement no. 527-0349-A-00-3338-00 with the Agricultural Cooperative Development International (ACDI) to support the ACDI/TechnoServe pilot program of sustainable, community-based Caja Rural and export-oriented enterprises in Olmos, Motupe, and Jequetepeque

ACDI will work with a newly formed Lambayeque-La Libertad Caja Rural to develop a replicable model, based on the Caja Rural concept contemplated in the recent Cajas law, for financial intermediation in Peru"s agricultural sector. The Caja, which will be capitalized and directed by local groups, will function as a small-scale commercial bank deriving its loanable capital from sold shares, a portfolio of rediscounted loans, savings mobilization, and fee-based financial services. The Caja will identify business opportunities for and provide market information to interested members of the community; and where it is demonstrated to be profitable, provide banking services, including production and agribusiness loans. Technoserve will promote export-oriented enterprises by using multi-disciplinary teams to build the skills of small farmers in feasibility analysis and strategic planning, agricultural research and technology transfer, and agribusiness operations, management, and marketing. The teams will help 6 communities to establish viable businesses and introduce at least 3 new commercially viable export crops.