USAID Colombia Producers to Markets Alliance | Quarterly Report 9

The program's ninth quarterly report covers activities and achievements from October to December 2019. During this period, PMA developed and initiated 12 new activities under its Activity Fund, including nine partner alliances with commercial producer organizations and two infrastructure projects to improve market access for rural farmers. PMA-supported producer associations generated $19.7 million in local sales of targeted products, bringing the cumulative total to $78.6 million, 155 percent of the target. The program facilitated the negotiation of more than 170 tons of coffee exports valued at $1.1 million from supported associations in Antioquia, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca to buyers in American, Asian, and European markets. Additionally, PMA incorporated 4,060 households into the program, bringing the cumulative total to 45,745 households, 99.9 percent of the cumulative target. The program's focus on market-led production has led to significant increases in production that responds to market demand. CAFINORTE exported 10.5 tons of high-quality coffee produced by young coffee producers to the United States, selling at $1.60 per pound, 21 percent above the international market price for Colombian coffee. In Caquetá, with PMA's support, ASPROABELEN sold 3 tons of dry cacao to Martius SAS for export to Germany, with a 17 percent price premium per kilogram of dry cacao for the organization. PMA has also made significant investments in rural infrastructure, improving an additional 109 kilometers of tertiary roads, bringing the cumulative total to 1,470 kilometers, 285 percent of the cumulative target. The program has also helped APC COOVICOM improve a total of 19.4 kilometers of tertiary roads in Caucasia, Antioquia, reducing travel time by 20 percent and benefiting 160 producers in support of the Antioquia Libre de Coca initiative. The program has also made progress in cross-cutting areas, with 35 percent of the cumulative number of PMA training participants being women, 18 percent being youth, 13 percent being Afro-Colombian, 20 percent being members of indigenous populations, and 36 percent being victims of armed conflict. The program has also leveraged $11.3 million in committed counterpart contributions, bringing total counterpart contributions to $109.1 million.