Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production Activity in Georgia
SCOPE OF WORK
Assisting Development of Private Sector Demonstration Plot System
BACKGROUND:
The USAID Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production (REAP) Project implemented by CNFA aims to increase incomes and employment in rural areas by delivering firm-level investment and technical assistance to agribusiness enterprises that provide inputs, services, training and cash markets to smallholders. REAP stimulates increased private sector investment and commercial finance to the agribusiness sector, mitigates risk for rural SMEs and entrepreneurs, and expand commercially sustainable linkages between service providers, producers, post-harvest enterprises and local business consulting firms.
Among REAP’s investment priorities are Farm Service/Machinery Service Centers (FSC/MSCs) that serve as a one-stop shop for farmers to purchase high quality inputs, receive technical consultations from trained agronomists and access modern mechanization equipment. To provide farmers with information on new technologies, host farmer field days and serve as a marketing tool for the FSC, all REAP supported FSCs are required to maintain a demonstration plot.
There is an acute need in Georgia to educate farmers on the importance of improved farming practices, utilizing proven and tested production technologies, and to coordinate the efforts of agricultural researchers, input suppliers, machinery service providers, and extension officers. In recent years, there have been numerous attempts to establish demonstration plots in Georgia; however, many of them appear to be unsuccessful in terms of sustainability and effectiveness of knowledge transfer and as a marketing tool for FSCs. REAP aims to advance the development of a modern demonstration plot system that will be private sector led and used to showcase agricultural products and techniques to smallholder and emerging commercial farmers, while strengthening the market for improved inputs and services in Georgia.
In May, 2014 REAP fielded an agricultural expert to assess various options for developing a sustainable private sector demonstration plot system that could be used to showcase agricultural products, techniques and best practices to smallholder and emerging commercial farmers. Based on the recommendations suggested by the expert and to build on their findings in an efficient manner, REAP engaged a local expert to support the implementation of demonstration plots at five of REAP’s beneficiaries. A program of farmer field days is being conducted at the selected demonstration plots to enhance the knowledge and skills of farmers and stakeholders in specific agricultural practices. With REAP now supporting 29 FSC’s it is essential for REAP to provide proper instruction and guidance to all FSC owners to effectively maintain demonstration plots that maximize knowledge transfer and serve as a profitable marketing tool.
OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this assignment is to develop a guide for REAP’s FSC grantees that describes best practices in establishing and maintaining a demonstration plot for maximum knowledge transfer and marketing. The guide will focus on utilizing demonstration plots as a marketing tool for FSCs and will indicate how FSC owners can utilize their plots to showcase new products, while serving as a knowledge center for farmers to learn about new technologies and best farming practices. Crops to be covered will be selected in close collaboration with FSC owners and REAP to determine the most effective crops for each region of Georgia. The expert will work closely with REAP’s Input Supply and Farm Service Specialist and local demonstration plot’s consultant to prepare the guide and to provide training on its implementation to ensure sustainability.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Meetings Related to Understanding and Performing the Work.
The Consultant shall meet, but is not limited to, the following individuals or groups of individuals in order to fully understand and perform the work specified under this Consultancy:
DELIVERABLES:
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
This assignment is planned to take place in-country form July 21st to July 31st, 2015. Total LOE for this assignment will be twenty days including ten days in-country. Travel to Georgia will take place on or around 07/19/2015 until 08/01/2015.
CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise and market linkages. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, new technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains, to expand exports, and to develop skills in the rural workforce. CNFA assists smallholders in increasing household-level food security and nutrition through improved agricultural practices, introduction of new varieties, diversification of crop production, food preservation and storage, development of farmer-based organizations and strengthened linkages to markets.