USAID's Avansa Agrikultura Project Year 1 Annual Progress Report

USAID’s Avansa Agrikultura Project is a horticulture value chain activity aimed at addressing the key challenges of rural poverty, natural resource degradation, food insecurity, and under-nutrition.Through the promotion of sustainable production practices, increased functionality of farmer groups and associations, improved market linkages, and increased availability and access to quality agricultural inputs and services, including access to finance, the project will aim to stimulate and support increased economic activity and growth  for Timorese citizensin targeted rural communities and municipalities. 

This first Annual Progress Report covers the first six months of the project from contract signing on April 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015. During the period, The project has pilot training with targeted suco in Ermera or Ainaro, meets with key farmers in two municipalities to discuss impacts of various government policies, dentifies at least two policy areas to begin work on by the end of Year 1 and develops nutrition gardens in targeted sucos.