2020 - 2025 | Chemonics International Inc. | $15 million
OVERVIEW
Agro Trade is a five-year project that promotes job creation and increases the incomes of Kyrgyz farmers and agribusinesses by strengthening value chains, leading to increased regional and cross-border trade with Uzbekistan.
GOALS
One of the key objectives of the project is to create job opportunities in south Kyrgyzstan with a special focus on women, youth, and marginalized groups. To achieve this objective, the project works to strengthen businesses in Batken, Jalal-Abad, and Osh oblasts by providing training, improving the business environment, and expanding access to finance and new markets, including Uzbekistan.
As part of the project, USAID supports economic empowerment and engagement of women, youth, and marginalized groups in agriculture to overcome constraints such as lack of knowledge, business skills, productive economic assets, weak marketing networks, and gender-based violence prevention in households and communities.
The project provides limited grant funding for specific purposes with a priority on women- and youth-owned agribusinesses:
- Upgrading equipment
- Consultations
- Improving economic inclusion
- Buying down risk for engaging women, youth, and marginalized groups.
- Establishing food storage, cold chain, and logistics facilities.
KEY RESULTS
Since 2021, USAID has provided grant assistance totaling $425, 236 to ten agricultural companies. These investments helped the companies expand their production up to 92 percent and create more than 2,600 additional jobs for women, youth, and marginalized groups.
Almost 6,000 individuals attended training sessions organized by the project to help individual farmers and entrepreneurs increase agricultural productivity and sales. Nearly 200 agricultural enterprises received business development services and consultations.
USAID sponsored the participation of more than 150 Kyrgyz companies in international exhibitions and business-to-business meetings with partners from Uzbekistan. This helped them establish business linkages with Uzbek companies and increase the export of Kyrgyz agricultural products. As a result, the companies signed agreements and contracts valued at $7.4 million..
Agro Trade project supports a number of initiatives aimed at promoting equal opportunities for women and youth and their economic empowerment. The project also conducts awareness campaigns on available support for victims of gender-based violence and carries out business acceleration programs specifically for women and youth. The campaigns have reached more than 41, 000 people in the south of Kyrgyzstan.
Overall, the Activity’s work has benefited more than 6,728 rural households in southern Kyrgyzstan since 2020.
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Project Duration: July 2020 - July 2025
Budget: $15 million
Implementing Partner: Chemonics International Inc
Key Partners: ACDI/VOCA
Contact information: David Dyer, ddyer@kyrgyzagrotrade.com
