Monthly Report: Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North, East and West (IDEA-NEW) January 2015

The program's mission is to support agribusinesses at different points of each value chain to improve market access, increase processing capacity, and catalyze investments into Afghanistan's agricultural sector. IDEA-NEW continued project activities during the month of January, with the Reconstruction and Social Services for Afghanistan Organization (RSSAO) completing on-the-job coaching sessions in Accounting and Marketing for input suppliers and food processors in Central and Eastern provinces. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) workshop was held in Kabul and Jalalabad, where representatives from 24 food processing companies participated in the workshop in Kabul and 12 representatives from 12 food processing companies and three government representatives participated in Jalalabad. Five input suppliers completed contributions under their respective grant agreements during the month of January. Farmer field days led by input suppliers under their promotional and matching grant agreements continued throughout the month, with a total of 271 farmers, three retailers, and six Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL) representatives attending 11 field days. One SMS grantee also led a farmer field day during the month, where 35 farmers participated. The program's activities focus on strengthening agricultural input suppliers through training and grants. Sub-Activity 1.1, which involved training input suppliers to identify and respond to the technical needs of their customers, is complete as of November 2014. Sub-Activity 1.2, which aims to improve the business management, administration, and marketing capacities of input suppliers, continued during the month of January with on-the-job training in Accounting and Marketing for input suppliers in the Central and Eastern regions. The training consisted of the practical use of Excel templates and a review of proper record-keeping practices for the Accounting portion, and assistance in drafting marketing plans and strategies for the Marketing training. A total of 17 input suppliers from the Central region and 20 input suppliers from the Eastern region completed both the in-class and on-the-job sessions of training for both Accounting and Marketing. Sub-Activity 1.3, which involves matching and promotional activity grants to assist agriculture input dealers in improving their business image, extension capabilities, and profits, continued during the month of January. IDEA-NEW has signed 25 promotional and six matching grant agreements with 25 input suppliers in target provinces. Activities continued under their respective agreements during the month of January. The program's activities also include supporting food processors and facilitating market entry for regional and international agribusiness retailers. A total of 31 representatives from 24 food processing companies participated in the HACCP workshop in Kabul, and 12 representatives from 12 food processing companies and three government representatives participated in Jalalabad. The program's geographic focus is on northern, eastern, and western Afghanistan, with a specific emphasis on the Central and Eastern regions. The program's timeframes are not explicitly stated, but the report covers activities that took place during the month of January 2015. The program's recommendations are not explicitly stated, but the report highlights the program's achievements and ongoing activities.