USAID’s Agribusiness Project Quarterly Report

The project is being implemented by the Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) and aims to strengthen the capacity in horticulture and livestock value chains to increase sales to domestic and foreign markets. The project's target sub-sectors are horticulture and livestock, including dairy and fisheries. The project's overall goal is to support improved conditions for broad-based economic growth, create employment opportunities, and contribute to poverty alleviation through the increase in competitiveness of horticulture and livestock value chains in partnership with all stakeholders. The specific objectives of the project are to strengthen the capacity of smallholders and farmer enterprises to operate autonomously and effectively, increase agriculture efficiency and productivity through the adoption of new farming techniques and technological innovation, and strengthen the capacity in horticulture and livestock value chains to increase sales to domestic and foreign markets. The project activities are organized under two components: technical assistance (TA) for capacity building and program support, and partnership window cost-sharing grants. Component-1 involves providing on-going technical and capacity building assistance to upgrade and strengthen the priority value chains in horticulture and livestock sub-sectors. Component-2 involves launching a national cost-sharing grants program to provide customized grant products to all players within the selected priority value chains. During the quarter from November 10 to December 31, 2011, the project was formally initiated upon signing of the cooperative agreement. Major activities undertaken during the reporting period included mobilization of human resources for the start-up phase, recruitment of staff, establishing/renting office premises, drafting of contract for technical assistance, development of the first year's work plan, designing of grants manual, and initiation of profiling of the horticulture and livestock sub-sectors in Pakistan. The project has a target of establishing a project office and regional office in nine areas of the country. As of December 31, 2011, premises for the project office in Islamabad and regional office in Peshawar were acquired on rent, while the head office of ASF and regional office in Multan were already functional but needed strengthening. The project has a staffing target of 84 personnel, with 73 males and 11 females, as of December 31, 2011. The project's financial expenditures during the quarter were $130,042, with a total estimated agreement amount of $89,412,942. The project's quarterly report covers the period from November 10 to December 31, 2011, and provides a brief overview of the actual accomplishments and their comparison to the planned targets and established goals and objectives of the project.