ZRDA Quarterly Report No. 8: Q1, FY 2018

The program began implementation on March 15, 2016, and is scheduled to run for a period of five years. The program's main objective is to improve the competitiveness of Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Georgia, increase productivity of rural households, facilitate market linkages between producers and buyers, and promote local economic development by establishing networks. The program has made significant progress in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, with a total of 269 MSMEs generating new sales as a result of Zrda assistance, representing 34% of the program's Life of Project (LOP) target. The program has also created 123 new jobs, bringing the total to 21% of the LOP target. In addition, 2,086 households have applied new technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance. The program has also seen a strong quarter of leverage generation, with $238,832 in new leverage, bringing the total to $1,243,829, which is 35% of the LOP target. The private sector has provided 65% of the total leverage figure. The program has also made significant progress in promoting gender and youth inclusion, with 44% of beneficiaries being women and 33% being youth. In terms of agriculture activities, the program has focused on finalizing design work on two new activities to introduce new vegetable crops in Zrda target regions, researching potential low-cost models for village-based micro cold storage and packing facilities, and preparing for the spring 2018 agricultural season. The program has also evaluated partnerships with private sector farm service centers, which have shown significant potential for expansion. The program's agriculture team has also welcomed a new member, the Agriculture Development Specialist, who began working with the team in Q1. The program's agro-information platforms, Traktor, Agronavti, and Kalo.ge, have all witnessed significant progress during the quarter, with user numbers continuing to increase for both Traktor and Agronavti, while transactions processed through the platforms are increasing in both volume and value. Kalo.ge has reached a milestone in its development, with the release of the alpha version of the platform for closed testing. The platform is expected to launch in Q2. In addition, the program has mobilized youth volunteers in Samegrelo Region to support the public outreach campaign organized by the National Food Agency (NFA) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to raise awareness about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) infestation in western Georgia. The volunteers have reached over 8,000 households across 37 communities in Samegrelo and Tsalenjikha municipalities. The program's tourism activities have continued to focus on product development and marketing, training and capacity building, and regional coordination, promotion, and destination management. The program has hosted the first-ever regional adventure tourism round table event in Tbilisi, bringing together regional stakeholders from Samegrelo, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Akhmeta with Tbilisi-based tour operators and adventure tourism associations to discuss the challenges and opportunities for adventure tourism in these target regions. The program has also begun to work towards localization of its digital marketing support activity through the release of a solicitation for local implementing partners during Q1.