[{"bbox": [131, 146, 350, 172], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.3 Intervention logic"}, {"bbox": [131, 183, 1101, 523], "category": "Text", "text": "The logic behind the intervention is to empower the small-holder farmers to play a role in the development of agro-value chains thus uplifting the living standards of rural communities. The action is focused on the most important layer in the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka, which is almost exclusively involved in subsistence and family farming and has a very limited land per household. This setting does not allow farmers to produce marketable products and become commercial farmers but instead puts them in a situation where they have relied on middle-men and needed to look into different sources of income (which has often led to emigrate to urban areas or abroad). By organising a critical number of farmers into farmer companies and help them enhance their skills, infrastructure environment, technology and market linkages, the action can bring the value chains approach at the local level, directly to the farmers. By providing temporary access to key agriculture inputs, the action can also enhance the country's food security and revive agriculture productivity. During this transition, farmers will be supported to improve an integrated soil fertility and plant nutrient management, and ultimately reduce and optimize the use of pesticides, fertilizers and antimicrobials in line with the EU Farm to Fork objectives."}, {"bbox": [131, 536, 1101, 616], "category": "Text", "text": "In addition, the action will contribute to strengthen the role of the private sector as a vector for growth, by creating farmer companies and building their capacity to access local markets, credit facilities and eventually export oriented markets."}, {"bbox": [131, 627, 1101, 782], "category": "Text", "text": "The institutional component is designed to help the authorities to accompany this process and be able to support the changes in the sector. A particular focus will be in the areas of Public Finance Management (PFM), macro-economy, sector policies and reforms as well as transparency and oversight of the budget. Also, an important impact expected by the intervention is to strengthen the institutional levels that are closer to the final beneficiaries (i.e. the provinces and the districts) and improve the knowledge of the public sector of the real needs of the farmers."}, {"bbox": [131, 797, 1101, 928], "category": "Text", "text": "Finally, this intervention has to be seen in the context of a renewed dialogue and partnership between the Government and its international partners. For the first time, two of the major donors in the country will jointly support the Government in the modernising agriculture. Both donors have access to a wide range of tools and facilities that can be mobilised in support to the country. As such, the action is fully incorporated into the overall EU policies in food security, agriculture, value chains development."}, {"bbox": [131, 980, 382, 1003], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 5. IMPLEMENTATION"}, {"bbox": [131, 1018, 381, 1045], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.1 Financing agreement"}, {"bbox": [131, 1056, 1101, 1108], "category": "Text", "text": "In order to implement this action, it is foreseen to conclude a financing agreement with the partner country, referred to Article 184(2)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012."}, {"bbox": [131, 1133, 502, 1160], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.2 Indicative implementation period"}, {"bbox": [131, 1171, 1101, 1250], "category": "Text", "text": "The indicative operational implementation period of this action, during which the activities described in section 4.2 will be carried out and the corresponding contracts and agreements implemented, is 114 months from the date of entry into force of the financing agreement."}, {"bbox": [131, 1262, 1101, 1364], "category": "Text", "text": "Extensions of the implementation period may be agreed by the Commission's authorising officer responsible by amending this decision and the relevant contracts and agreements; such amendments to this decision constitute technical amendments in the sense of point (i) of Article 2(3)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 236/2014."}, {"bbox": [605, 1696, 629, 1719], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "12"}]