Project Objective
The project development objective (PDO) is to increase competitiveness of selected agricultural value chains in the project areas. Below are the PDO-level results indicators.
- Change in agricultural land productivity of the targeted farmers (percentage)
- Increase in sales of farm produce as a share of production among targeted farmers (percentage, breakdown to gender male- and female-headed households)
- Increase in rice milling efficiency supported by the project (percentage)
The ACP comprises the following four components: (a) Improved Agricultural Efficiency and Sustainability, (b) Enhanced Agricultural Commercialization, (c) Project Management, and (d) Contingent Emergency Response.
Component A: Improved Agricultural Efficiency and Sustainability
This component will support (a) the increased adoption of improved varieties and high-quality seeds, (b) the increased application of GAP, (c) the provision of critical productive infrastructure, and (d) the strengthening of public services delivery.
Subcomponent A1: Promoting Adoption of Good Varieties and Quality Seeds
This subcomponent will support activities to promote the adoption of good varieties and quality seeds, including the provision of: (a) technical assistance for the establishment of seed multiplication groups (SMGs) and building their capacity to adopt good varieties and quality seeds; (b) Matching Grants to selected SMGs to carry out Sub-projects (i.e., small works, goods, equipment, etc.) for improving the production and postharvest handling, packaging and storage of quality seeds; (c) technical and material assistance (i.e., small works, goods, equipment, training, etc.) to build the capacity of Provincial Agricultural and Forestry Offices (PAFOs), District Agricultural and Forestry Offices (DAFOs), MAF technical departments and research institutions to conduct training for SMGs and to carry out seed quality monitoring and certification; and (d) technical assistance to link SMGs with Farmer Production Groups (FPGs) and agribusinesses in marketing certified seeds.
Subcomponent A2: Promoting Good Agricultural Practices
This subcomponent will support activities to promote good agricultural practices (GAP), including the provision of: (a) technical assistance for the establishment of FPGs and building their capacity to adopt GAP; (b) Matching Grants to selected FPGs to carry out Sub-projects that implement GAP; (c) technical and material assistance (i.e., small works, goods, equipment, training, etc.) to build the capacity of PAFOs, DAFOs, and relevant MAF technical departments to conduct training for FPGs on GAP and to carry out related extension and certification activities including soil analysis, organic fertilizer production, and organic farming; and (d) technical assistance to link FPGs with agribusinesses in marketing farm produce.
Subcomponent A3:
This subcomponent will support activities to improve critical irrigation infrastructure and water use practices, including: (a) rehabilitation of selected irrigation schemes; and (b) provision of technical assistance to establish water user groups and to build their capacity to adopt improved water use models.
Subcomponent A4: Strengthening Public Services Delivery
This subcomponent supports activities to strengthen agricultural and nutrition service delivery, including the provision of technical and material assistance (i.e., small works, goods, equipment, training, etc.) to: (a) improve the overall extension service capacity of the PAFOs and DAFOs; (b) develop and implement mapping and demarcation pilots for agricultural land in irrigated areas; and (c) conduct studies on integrated farming systems and diversification for nutrition, and carry out social behavioral change communication (SBCC) activities related to dietary diversity, adequate care practices, and processing and cooking for improved nutrition.
Component B: Enhanced Agricultural Commercialization
This component will support (a) establishing of an Agricultural Value Chain Facility (AVCF), (b) measures to better link farmers to markets, and (c) studies to improve the enabling environment for agro-enterprise and value chain development.
Subcomponent B1: Establishing an Agricultural Value Chain Facility
This subcomponent will support the establishment and operation of an AVCF for the purpose of extending technical and financial services to agribusinesses, including the provision of: (a) technical assistance to establish and operate the facility and provide advisory and Subproject implementation support to agribusinesses; and (b) Matching Grants to selected agribusinesses to carry out Subprojects for upgrading their processing and postharvest handling facilities and their management capacities to improve product quality, increase operational efficiency, reduce physical losses, and link with FGPs to improve marketing of the farm produce.
Subcomponent B2: Linking Farmers to Markets
This subcomponent will support activities designed to link farmers to markets, including the provision of technical assistance to: (a) strengthen the horizontal links of farmers within FPGs for implementing procurement, marketing and other collective actions, and the vertical links of FPGs and agribusinesses in productive partnerships to undertake further processing and marketing of the produce; and (b) development of an improved agriculture market information system to provide reliable market information for productive partnerships.
Subcomponent B3: Improving the Enabling
This subcomponent will support activities to improve the enabling legal, policy and institutional environment for supporting agribusiness investment and agricultural trade policies, including the development of improved sanitary and phytosanitary standards, rice standards and rice export policies, and improved import and export legislation focusing on agriculture inputs and farm machinery.
Component C: Project Management
The component will support (a) project management and (b) monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
Subcomponent C1: Project Management
This subcomponent will support the day-to-day implementation, coordination, and management of project activities including planning and execution, financial management (FM), procurement, internal and external audits, and environmental and social safeguards management.
Subcomponent C2: Monitoring and Evaluation
This subcomponent will support the day-to-day monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of project activities.
Component D: Contingent Emergency Response
This component with a provisional allocation of zero dollars is included under the project in accordance with OP10, Paragraphs 12 and 13, for projects in situations of urgent need of assistance or capacity constraints. This will allow for rapid allocation of project proceeds in the event of the Government declaring that a crisis or emergency has occurred and the World Bank Group agreeing with such determination. This component would finance public and private sector expenditures on a positive list of goods and/or specific works, goods, services and emergency operation costs required for emergency recovery. An Emergency Response Operations Manual will apply to this component, detailing financial management, procurement, safeguards and any other necessary implementation arrangements.