Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest II: FY18 Quarter 2 Performance Report

The project focuses on three key areas: improving capacities for market participation, improving market linkages, and improving governance and the enabling environment for the horticulture sector. The project's buyer-led approach involves understanding specific buyers' needs in terms of quality, quantity, price, and timing. Harvest II helps each buyer engage with producers to ensure a reliable and consistent supply of products. The project provides technical assistance and plays a facilitator role to develop buyers' and producers' capacity, facilitate their access to finance, and strengthen the enabling environment. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2018, the project worked with 21 of its 27 commercial partnerships to help them address constraints to expanding sales and to stimulate investment. Technical capacity building efforts focused on addressing technical problems on pest and disease management. Just-in-time technical training was provided to 345 cashew nut suppliers in Kampong Thom and Siem Reap province, resulting in a 30 percent increase in cashew nut yield and sales to local buyers of $723,697. In addition to working with commercial partnerships, Harvest II also strengthened participation of other actors in the horticulture marketplace, such as input suppliers and microfinance institutions. Business management strengthening training was provided to 218 agro-input retailers, aiming to improve their ability to serve the market. The project also worked to develop sustainable commercial partnerships between buyers and suppliers, with a focus on developing buyers' and producers' capacity, facilitating their access to finance, and strengthening the enabling environment. The project has made significant progress in meeting its targets, with more than half of its fiscal year 2018 targets achieved by the end of the second quarter. This progress will allow the team to devote more time in the next six months to challenges that require significant time and attention, such as evaluating the existing buyer portfolio, identifying and establishing relationships with more sophisticated buyers, and advancing work on the Horticultural Solutions and Investment Accelerator grants programs. Harvest II's progress is reflected in the project's performance indicators, which show that the project has met all its targets for project Year 1, which ended April 17, 2018. The project's focus on building market linkages using a buyer-led approach and developing sustainable commercial partnerships between buyers and suppliers has been key to its success. By continuing to build on this approach, Harvest II aims to accelerate growth of the horticulture sector in the provinces of Pursat, Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom. The project's geographic focus is on the provinces of Pursat, Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom, where it is working to improve capacities for market participation, improve market linkages, and improve governance and the enabling environment for the horticulture sector. The project's timeframes are focused on the fiscal year 2018, with a focus on meeting its targets and making progress towards its goals. Overall, Harvest II is making significant progress in its efforts to accelerate growth of the horticulture sector in the provinces of Pursat, Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom. The project's focus on building market linkages using a buyer-led approach and developing sustainable commercial partnerships between buyers and suppliers has been key to its success, and it is likely to continue to make progress in the coming months.