While increased productivity is an essential component to a vibrant agricultural sector, improved post-harvest handling and processing is essential to ensure high-quality products reach markets. Too often, even when yields are high, producers lose income due to poor post-harvest practices.
CNFA's strategy is designed to increase both productivity and crop quality and to build an efficient infrastructure for post-harvest handling, storage and marketing in order to extend the sales season and help farmers obtain optimum returns on their crops investments. CNFA promotes the use of best practices in post-harvest techniques and procedures, such as conditioning, washing/sorting/grading, immediate cooling or cold storage and controlled atmosphere. CNFA also provides training in business planning, including strategic sales and marketing plans.
High-Value Agricultural Development
It is critical to select, cultivate and market high-value crops in order to raise incomes and establish a viable and competitive agricultural economy. Using a combination of technical assistance and small grants to help introduce competitive practices and technologies, CNFA has fostered the expansion of high-value agriculture, driven by market demands and opportunities.
Commercialization and Innovation
CNFA works with enterprises within targeted value chains to help identify the best long-term strategies for expanding markets, increasing capacity, generating investment, empowering entrepreneurs and increasing rural incomes. This can include introducing new crop varieties or applying new production technologies, including intensive production techniques, advanced and efficient irrigation systems, use of GIS/remote sensing in production planning and high-productivity genetics. Projects emphasize future opportunities for investment or assistance within that sector and the competitive advantages within the market. One way for entrepreneurs to access higher-value markets is securing special certifications. CNFA helps local partners to institutionalize quality management programs and introduce international quality standards (ISO, HACCP) and to develop and market new products, brands, and Seal of Quality programs.
Related Projects
Georgia: Agribusiness Development Activity
Georgia: Georgia Agricultural Risk Reduction Program – Phase IV (GARRP IV)
Ghana: Commercial Strengthening of Certified Cocoa Production in Ghana
Moldova: Agribusiness Development Project (ADP)
Pakistan: Improving Livelihoods and Enterprise Development Program (I-LED)
