Evaluation of the USAID-Kosovo SME and Agriculture - Economic ...

Development Associates, Inc.IMPROVING VEGETABLE PRODUCTION PROJECT (IVP)BACKGROUNDAs a result of an amendment to the SC grant, five sub-grants were prepared for implementing anagricultural program to address some deficiencies in this sector in Kosovo. 37 One of the subgrantswas for a project to focus on the vegetable sub-sector through activities that wouldincrease technology transfer to farm households, improve advisory services available throughFarmers Associations (FAs), develop the capacity of Rural Development Organizations (RDOs)and improve business linkages. These objectives would be accomplished through theimplementation of a 20-month project totaling $ 557, 516. This sub-grant was awarded to CECIin January 2003.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEThe project’s Strategic Objective is to increase the volume of marketed and processed vegetableproducts in the Southwest region, with a special emphasis on Rahovec, Gjakova and Prizrenmunicipalities.INTERMEDIARY RESULTSThis SO will be achieved through the following Intermediate Results:1. Improved access to market responsive advisory services (resulting from an enhancement inthe ability of one agricultural services provider and three (3) Farmer Associations to deliveradvisory services to farmers).2. Increased volume and improved quality of marketable production surpluses in the threetargeted municipalities3. Increased marketing of the production surpluses (resulting from the multiplication ofbusiness linkages between farmers, their associations and trading and processing companiesThe IVP sub-grant became operational just as the first years’ growing season approached, sothey were able to initiate on-farm demonstration trials in the first year. IVP was fortunate inbeing able to team with the Kosovo Development Center, a local NGO based in Gjakova. Thispartnership was crucial to the project getting established and initiating the first years’ activities.IMPLEMENTATION1. Have activities been properly targeted to achieve the objectives?The IVP program has selected seven vegetable varieties plus potatoes (see Quarterly ReportJanuary 2004, page 10, not attached to evaluation documents) for their technology transfer workwith farmers. These selected crops have a history of marketability and consumer preference inKosovo. Historically, many of these vegetable varieties have been exported to other countries in37 The five sub-sectors addressed in the SFS program include dairy, meat and feed; poultry – chickens and eggs –and feed; sheep; vegetables; and fruit orchardsEvaluation of the USAID/Kosovo SME 106 May 2004and Agriculture/Agribusiness ProgramsVolume I