ACDI/VOCA Wins MCA Award in Armenia

Under the Millennium Challenge Account - Armenia Program, ACDI/VOCA, in partnership with ARCADIS Euroconsult, of the Netherlands, and VISTAA, on Feb. 13 signed an $18.5 million contract to implement a Water-to-Market (WTM) activity.

The project will accelerate the transition to more profitable farm production by introducing and encouraging best practices in irrigated agriculture and water management techniques, moving to higher-value crops and livestock, strengthening post-harvest and processing enterprises that link producers to their markets and boosting the capacity of credit providers to fund production and post-harvest activities. The term of this project is approximately 56 months.

Under the WTM activity, 60,000 rural farmers will receive training and observe demonstrations in on-farm water management. Also, some 30,000 of them will benefit from training and demonstrations in higher-value farming activities introduced under the project, and 300 farmer groups and small and medium-sized enterprises (comprising 15,000 farmers indirectly) will be more effective in assembling, processing and marketing agricultural production by virtue of the training, technical assistance and capital they receive. These activities will lead to significant job creation. The impact of the WTM activity will thus be employment generation and increased incomes among farms and rural businesses. It is expected that the synergy between rural infrastructure development and agribusiness development will result in a significant, sustainable reduction in rural poverty.

This is ACDI/VOCA’s first award from the Millennium Challenge Account, the U.S. development initiative that is designed to promote local accountability for the foreign assistance activities it administers. However, it is not ACDI/VOCA’s first activity in Armenia. ACDI/VOCA has been active in Armenia since 1992 and was one of the first international organizations to launch development activities in the country with programs focused on developing the technical and management capacities of farmers, processors, input suppliers and other agribusinesses.

ACDI/VOCA currently provides technical assistance through its USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) program, a worldwide initiative that seeks to develop and increase the sustainability of private agricultural enterprises and support organizations as well as rural finance organizations. Under FtF, over 400 U.S. volunteers have conducted short-term assignments benefiting over 700 Armenian farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses and rural credit organizations, particularly in livestock and dairy production, and fruit and vegetable production. The new MCA award will enable ACDI/VOCA to continue its steadfast support of small and medium-sized Armenian agricultural enterprises.

For 43 years and in 145 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. ACDI/VOCA delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness systems, financial services, enterprise development and community development in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society. ACDI/VOCA currently has approximately 90 projects in 40 countries.