Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) Activity FY2019 Quarter 3 Report

The program is implemented by ACDI/VOCA and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The RDC program has made significant progress in its first two quarters of fiscal year 2019. A total of 29 sub-grant awards have been signed, with 4 interventions dropped and 2 graduated to a pilot phase in FY 2018 and scaled up in FY 2019. Currently, 17 interventions are being piloted, and 13 of the 29 signed interventions have reported results. The program has achieved 65,424 farmers with either improved access to inputs/services or markets, which is 60% of the target of 109,419 farmers. The RDC program has also made significant investments in the rice, maize, pulse, and oilseed sectors. In the rice sector, 146.88 MT of rice seed (aromatic and fine grain) and 56 MT of maize seed (hybrid) have been sold in the Feed the Future zone. A total of 39,491 farmers have accessed seed as a result, with a further 5,100 farmers receiving crop protection advisory services. In the pulse sector, around 287 MT of mungbean, 771 MT of sesame, and 125 MT of sunflower have been procured from around 10,298 producers. The RDC program is also piloting new business models focusing on procurement, distribution of inputs, business support services, and mechanization. While it is too early to see wider systemic changes attributed to the program's interventions, there is evidence of some firms copying pilot business models in the rice market system. The program has also initiated the hiring of a third-party consulting firm to conduct an annual performance survey, which will provide necessary data for FY 2019 USAID reporting. In addition to these achievements, the RDC program has also made progress in promoting healthy and practical home-based local shelling techniques for groundnuts. Local farmers' groups have held hands-on demonstration sessions to evaluate the effectiveness of this new technology. The program continues to work towards its goals of promoting a diversified farm management approach and improving the livelihoods of farmers in the Feed the Future zone.