January 31, 2018 Prepared for review by the United States Agency for International Development under USAID Agreement No. 669-A-16-00005 Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity (LADA) implemented by CNFA Submitted to: USAID/Liberia Dr. Maurice Ogutu, AOR; Author: Communications/M&E Department; Photo Concept: Communications/M&E Department Table of Contents 1. Update from the Chief of Party………………………………………………………..2 2. Program Introduction and Overview……….………………………………………... 4 3. Q1 FY18 Activity: Implementation by Component………….…………………...… 4 Component One……………………………………………………………………….... 4 Component Two ………………………………………………………………………...9 Component Three ……………………………………………………………………... 22 4. Cross-Cutting Activities…………………….………………………………………... 25 Gender and Youth…………………………………………………………………........ 25 Access to Finance…………………………………………………………………........ 26 Environmental Compliance………….………………………………………………… 27 Communications ……………………………………………………………………….. 30 Administration….…………………………………………………………………........ 32 5. M&E Update………………………………….……………………………………… 32 6. Q3 Spotlight – LADA delivers a brand new farm tractor with implements to Dokodan Farmers’ Cooperative...................... 39 7. Activities Planned for Q2 FY18 …………………… ……………………………… 40 Index of Acronyms AIN Agribusiness Investment Network ATA Agricultural Transformation Agenda BOSS Business Opportunity through Support Services BSC Business Start-Up Center BSP Business Service Provider CARI Central Agricultural Research Institute CBDSPL Consortium of Business Service Providers of Liber CIF Co-Investment Fund COP Chief of Party CNFA Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture CPPS Crop Protection Products DCOP Deputy Chief of Party DFS Digital Financial Services EOI Expression of Interest EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan FED Food and Enterprise Development Program GCCA Global Cold Chain Alliance HQCF High Quality Cassava Flour IAS Impact Advisory Services IES Initial Environmental Screening LADA Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity LATA Liberia Agricultural Transformation Agenda LBDI Liberia Bank for Development and Investment LEAD Liberia Entrepreneurial & Asset Development LSA Liberia Strategic Analysis GoL Government of Liberia M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MFI Microfinance Institution MoA Ministry of Agriculture MOCI Ministry of Commerce & Industry OCA Organizational Capacity Assessment PERSUAP Pesticide Evaluation Report Safer Use Action Plan PTSC Post-Harvest Technology Service Center Q1 Quarter One SHF Smallholder Farmer SME Small and Medium Enterprises UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID United States Agency for International Development 1 Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity – FY18 Q1 Report 1. Update from the Chief of Party The Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity (LADA) was awarded to CNFA in December 2015 and officially launched on April 13, 2016. LADA is being implemented over five years in four counties in Liberia with the goal of increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers (SHFs) through increasing private sector investment in the Liberian agribusiness sector. LADA’s activities are focused on strengthening agro-input provision, agro-processing capacity, and agro- policy development. Over the first quarter of FY18, LADA achieved an increasing number of milestones and successes. Notable among these were procuring and handing over a number of high capacity generators, a farm tractor and other equipment to targeted beneficiaries under its CIF initiative. Private-sector actors including commercial banks and microfinance institutions contributed to mobilizing working capital of beneficiaries. During this period, LADA reached over 2,173 households and continued to provide food security related training to smallholder farmers, agro-dealers and agro processors. LADA will continue on its current trajectory, bringing modern processing equipment into Liberia for the first time, training processors in its use, industrializing value chains and ensuring that the benefits flow to SHF’s. Below are the key “implementation highlights” of LADA in the first quarter: 1. Training of smallholder farmers on safer input utilization: In December 2017, LADA provided trainings to 1,258 (525 male and 658 female) smallholder farmers on safer inputs utilization and business management across Nimba, Lofa, Bong and Montserrado Counties. 2. Sale of agro-inputs by members of NAIDAL: Reports received in Q1 of FY18 indicate that members of NAIDAL made a sale of $685,037.81 from 2,856.199 MT of agro-inputs distributed under a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture during the last quarter of FY17. 3. Post-harvest technology training for smallholder farmers’ groups: The LADA team, in collaboration with MOA extension personnel, conducted training on Post-Harvest 2 Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity – FY18 Q1 Report Technology and Business Management for 2,065 smallholder farmers including 1,074 males and 991 females). 4. Equipment cost-share under LADA’s CIF initiative: LADA procured and delivered 5 high-powered diesel generators and a farm tractor to 6 beneficiaries as part of its CIF grant agreements in Q1. 5. Access to Finance: LADA is increasing its financial outreach to local financial institutions to encourage lending to agriculture entrepreneurs. This is evidenced by a recent Guarantee Agreement with the Liberia Entrepreneurial Asset Development (LEAD) fund to finance agro-dealers who do not qualify for commercial financing. This quarter, LADA facilitated agricultural loans in the amount of USD 44,000 to five vegetable producers and one fish farmer. 6. Creating Market Linkages: During this reporting period, LADA continued to create avenues for market linkages among its processor beneficiaries. Zoedoar Farmers’ Cooperative and the Gbahley-Geh Rural Women Cooperative both in Nimba County were linked in a relationship that will see Zoedoar supplying paddy to Gbehley-Geh on a regular basis. 3 Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity – FY18 Q1 Report 2. Program Introduction and Overview The United States Government, through USAID, awarded the Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity (LADA) to Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) on December 8, 2015. The activity was formally launched in April 2016. Since then, CNFA and its partners BSC Monrovia, Enclude, Global Cold Chain Alliance, Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Consortium of Business Service Providers (CBDSPL) and Impact Advisory Services (IAS) have been implementing the five year US$19.3m activity in Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Montserrado Counties. In the past two implementation years, the LADA team made strides in delivering on its key objective of increasing the incomes of targeted smallholder farmers (SMF) through increased private sector investments in the five agricultural value chains (rice, cassava, horticulture, aquaculture, and cocoa). LADA actions were focused on training SHF in effective inputs utilization and post-harvest handling of targeted value chain crops as well as building the technical capacity of cooperatives and agro-entrepreneurs. LADA distributed a number machines including cassava mills, fish feed pelleting machines, electric power generators and farm tractors to beneficiaries and infused substantial capital investment into some processors and agro-dealers businesses through its Co-Investment Fund. The activity also facilitated market linkages for vegetable farmers and continued to strengthen LADA’s engagement with rice processors to enable them meet the demand for quality local rice on the local market. In Q1 of FY18, LADA continued to implement approved CIF projects with a concentration on building the technical and operational capacities of the grantees including Selma Agricultural Development Corporation, Dokodan Farmers’ Cooperative and Patom Enterprise. After completing specifications and procurement formalities, the LADA team procured and delivered five high powered diesel generators, a farm tractor and other accessories to approved beneficiaries as a first phase in the donation of modern processing, packaging, transportation and storage equipment meant to facilitate the production and supply of good quality local food in the Liberian market. In this report, you will find details of the programmatic, administrative, and M&E activities implemented during the FY18 Q1 reporting period from October 1 to December 31, 2017. 3. FY18 Q1 Activity: Implementation by Component Component 1: Increased private sector investment in agricultural (production) input systems The activities under this component focus on strengthening the capacities of Liberian agro-dealers and aggregators to channel improved and affordable agricultural inputs (fertilizers, seeds, crop protection products, etc.) and technical assistance (delivery of extension services, on-farm 4 Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity – FY18 Q1 Report advisory services, etc.) to SHFs. This will hopefully reduce losses and increase farm output and lead to increased incomes of SHFs. C1.1 Ongoing Training of Agro-dealers: With the approval of its Pesticides Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) by the USAID Mission, LADA continued to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) to provide capacity building to local agro- dealers on safer input use handling (fertilizers, seeds and crop protection products), business management