Compete Project Monthly Report January 1, 2013 – January 31, 2013

In the agribusiness sector, Al Juneidy Nursery received grafting training on selected rootstock varieties and produced over 13,000 grafted seedlings of watermelon, with 10,000 delivered to a buyer in the Jordan Valley. The nursery plans to deliver another 25,000 watermelon seedlings to the Jordan Valley in February. The registration process of the not-for-profit Fresh Herbs Company has been initiated, with five fresh herb producers elected as board members. The company aims to adopt a best practices protocol to meet international market standards and requirements. Contract farming activity has led to the signing of contracts between two growers in the Jenin and Tubas area and Al Salam Group, a local processing company, and Al Ashqar Co., a Jordanian importer. USAID Compete has also procured 25,500 meters of lateral pipes, sprinklers, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) valves, and a sprayer to assist these businesses in expanding their cultivated area and advancing their irrigation system. A contingent headed by Mara Rudman, USAID Assistant Administrator for the Middle East, conducted a field visit to two key enterprises supported by USAID Compete in the Jordan Valley, discussing further USAID interventions to increase production capacity, enhance quality, exports, and sales of the Medjool date sector and table salt producer. In the olive oil sector, the Palestinian Center for Agricultural Research and Development (PCARD) organized several workshops across the West Bank to share the results of the Olive Oil rollout, an activity designed to expand olive oil production through supplementary irrigation and improved harvesting and maintenance techniques. The workshops attracted 220 farmers, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, and local agricultural associations, including 36 female farmers and 10 youths. Additionally, a contract was signed between a major Russian importer and Nakheel Palestine company, a leading Palestinian date producer, for the exclusive supply of Medjool dates for a two-year period. USAID Compete's agribusiness team is finalizing preparations for the Fruit Logistica Berlin and Gulfood Dubai 2013 trade shows, aiming to link Palestinian enterprises to international value chains and grow exports. Key milestones achieved in January 2013 include the first production and delivery of grafted watermelon seedlings from Al Juneidy Nursery to the Jordan Valley, the selection of an elected board member for the Fresh Herbs not-for-profit Company, and the solidification of contract farming with the delivery of over 25,500 meters of lateral pipes, sprinklers, PVC valves, and a sprayer.