Agriculture

• Marketing Off-Season Vegetables - Bhutan:

This programme aims to increase incomes of at least 1500 households in 6 districts by 5-15% and link around 60 cooperatives to the market by 2014. Under the IFAD-funded Market Access and Growth Intensification Project (MAGIP), SNV provides advisory services to the Supply Chain and Market Development Component, led by the Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives Office (RAMCO). Key strategy is to increase production and improve joint marketing of vegetables when the vegetable production is low and prices are high in both domestic and Indian markets.

• Raising Income from Non-Timber Forest Products - Bhutan:

SNV supports this pilot at Lauri geog of Samdrup Jongkhar district under the IFAD-funded Market Access & Growth Intensification Project (MAGIP) in which eight NTFP groups sustainably manage and harvest NTFPs. The target is to raise incomes of at least 400 households by an estimated USD 55 by mid-2014. SNV supports geog-level NTFP management plans, sustainable harvesting guidelines and enrichment planting guidelines. SNV also supports the strengthening of NTFP groups and their marketing opportunities. Opportunities for scaling-up this approach to the rest of Samdrup Jongkhar and Pemagatsel districts are currently being assessed.

• Cooperative Sector Development - Bhutan:

Cooperatives and farmers' groups are essential to facilitate marketing in a mountainous country like Bhutan where farmers live scattered on the mountain slopes. However, cooperative registration has only been possible in the country since 2010. SNV supported the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives in the formulation of the Capacity Building Master Plan for Cooperatives and Farmers' Groups and has designed more than 8 manuals to support its role out. Through capacity building of more than 200 farmer groups, cooperatives and NTFP groups, more than 10,000 households are benefitting from increased livelihood opportunities.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables – Cambodia:

The project with CFAP in Svay Rieng started in 2010 and is planned under a MoU for 3 years as part of the corporate partnership with Agriterra. During 2011 both Agriterra and Rabobank foundation have committed 300,000 Euro for support services to CFAP local member associations. To reach exit readiness 2 more growing seasons of capacity development support will be needed, after which SNV can safely withdraw from the project without risk of collapse. A new funding opportunity for the FFV project is emerging with new IFAD PADEE project which will scale-up the Vegetables VC to 4 provinces. This is expected to start middle 2012, until which core funding will be needed to complete the work with CFAP.

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