USAID Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) Activity FY 2017 Work Plan

The project aims to create employment opportunities, improve incomes, increase fruit yield and quality, and enhance agricultural competitiveness and food security. The AVC Activity is organized into four components: Component 1 focuses on improving the quality and volume of agricultural production, Component 2 improves post-harvest handling and production, Component 3 facilitates market linkages, and Component 4 links educational institutions with private sector demand. The project will work in 33 districts across 12 provinces of Uzbekistan, with a focus on edible horticulture, including stone fruits, pome fruits, grapes, vegetables, and gourds. Although the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR) did not designate specific crops for project activities, the project expertise is greatest in stone fruits, pome fruits, and grapes, which will be extended to vegetables and gourds. The FY 2017 obligation for the AVC project is expected to be in the $2-2.2 million range, and all indications are that these funds must last into the first quarter of FY 2018. Assuming the expected FY 2017 obligation is $2.2 million, the project will have a total obligation of $5,623,000 or 50% of the original contract by the end of the project in late May 2018. Given the financial reality of the AVC project, the FY 2017 work plan will utilize existing staff as the major implementing agent for the proposed activities, with limited use of international consultants and local consultants. The project will focus on improving on-farm productivity, increasing quality and availability of agricultural inputs, facilitating enhancement of cold storage practices, utilizing improved post-harvest production to reach new markets, creating new linkages in the domestic market, and creating market linkages with new foreign markets. The project will also strengthen relationships between educational institutions and the private sector, with a focus on training and education. The AVC Activity will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR) and other government agencies to achieve its objectives. The project will also engage with local communities, farmers, and private sector stakeholders to ensure that the project is responsive to their needs and priorities. The project's success will be measured through a range of indicators, including employment opportunities created, incomes improved, fruit yield and quality increased, and agricultural competitiveness and food security enhanced. The project will be implemented over a period of 18 months, from October 1, 2016, to May 31, 2018. The project's budget will be managed through a combination of USAID funding and local resources, with a focus on ensuring that the project is financially sustainable and can be replicated in other parts of the country. The project's monitoring and evaluation framework will be designed to track progress against the project's objectives and indicators, and to identify areas for improvement and scaling up.