PHR Technical Template

Improved food security involves enhanced access to basic foodstuffs resulting from improved on-farm productivity, increased harvests, reduced post-harvest losses, and more efficient sale and marketing of farm-gate products. Increased revenues result from the adoption of improved technologies that increase productivity and improve the profitability and competitiveness of farm-gate products in targeted markets. During the reporting period from December 2011 through February 2012, IICEM's expanded Business Development Services (BDS), Strategic Activity Fund (SAF), and Innovative Fund (IF) activities provided an enlarged and more diversified platform to promote private sector agribusiness investments and strengthen domestic and regional cereal sales. Producer groups began formalizing grain sales and strengthening relations with the private banking sector for future cropping seasons. Key indicators related to commercial areas showed significant progress. The value of incremental sales attributed to IICEM implementation increased by 140% for farm-gate sales and 105% for sub-regional sales. The value of new investments by the private sector in agriculture or food chain leveraged by IICEM reached $4.1 million, exceeding the target of $8 million. Recent partnerships through SAF/IF/BDS with more than 9 agri-businesses enabled IICEM to expand its support of the agribusiness private sector. The number of public-private partnerships created following IICEM assistance increased to 14, representing a 70% achievement of the target. IICEM's efforts to strengthen supply chain partnerships with cereal wholesalers resulted in strengthened quarterly farm-gate sales and regional sales. The project's focus on market development and diversification, encouraging value addition for both domestic and regional markets, contributed to these positive outcomes. IICEM's activities during the reporting period were characterized by the completion of cereal harvests and the sale of commercial grain. The project's expanded BDS, SAF, and IF activities provided a more diversified platform to promote private sector agribusiness investments and strengthen domestic and regional cereal sales. Producer groups began formalizing grain sales and strengthening relations with the private banking sector for future cropping seasons. The project's focus on improving on-farm productivity, increasing harvests, reducing post-harvest losses, and improving the sale and marketing of farm-gate products contributed to the increased revenues and improved food security in targeted rural areas. IICEM's efforts to strengthen supply chain partnerships with cereal wholesalers and promote private sector agribusiness investments resulted in significant progress in commercial areas. IICEM's activities in synergy with other partners included creating gender-equitable opportunities in value chain development, millet/sorghum value chain development, and rice value chain development. The project's activities to foster a more enabling environment for agriculture included improving natural resource management, expanding markets and trade, enhancing financial services, business development, and promoting gender-equitable opportunities. The project's planned activities for the next reporting period included improving production and productivity, diversifying revenue through other products, fostering a more enabling environment for agriculture, improving natural resource management to support and sustain agriculture, expanding markets and trade, enhancing financial services, business development, and promoting gender-equitable opportunities.