Jordan Competitiveness: Market Access, Supply Chains and Private Sector Linkages

The framework, also referred to as the "Bridge" relationship, is driven by five key factors: demand, capacity/scale, mutual benefit/value, mitigating risk, and service/technology. The framework was first implemented in Ghana, where three regional packhouses were established with grower/exporters as operators. A vetting process was conducted upfront to ensure the viability of the projects. Additionally, 10 agribusiness centers were set up with firms active in the value chain as operators, with a request for proposal (RFP) issued for concession and co-investment. The Ghana experience demonstrated the effectiveness of the framework in attracting private sector investment. For instance, the project leveraged irrigation investment by co-locating with VegPro, a Kenya-based company, which resulted in the export of 250-300 tons of vegetables to the EU per week. The project also attracted Chiquita, which invested in a packhouse equipment loan program for the export of MD2 pineapples to the EU. The commercial framework requires a soft side, which includes the establishment of a commercial framework, to be in place before the hard side, which includes the implementation of projects, can begin. The works timeline for the project is 34 months, with online activities expected to commence late in the project. The project has several indicators, including the volume of products passing through post-harvest treatment, the number of cooling facilities installed, and the area of cold storage facilities constructed. The project also aims to increase the area of pack-houses and other post-harvest infrastructure constructed, as well as the number of feasibility studies approved. The project has made significant progress, with 45,472 farmers (60,000 target) and 2,305 enterprises benefiting from the project as of December 2010. The project has also constructed 32,204 hectares of irrigation facilities and provided extensive training to farmers on business planning and technology transfer/demonstration. The project's impact evaluation will focus on several key areas, including the number of farmers and enterprises benefiting from the project, the area of land irrigated, and the number of cooling facilities installed. The project's success will be measured by its ability to improve market access for smallholder farmers and increase their income.