[{"bbox": [103, 158, 1120, 317], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Need for **innovative agriculture finance**: while the upper market segment of large to medium enterprises seems well serviced, the middle and especially the lower segment are mainly attended by informal practices due to prohibitive interest rates. For the lowest segment, community savings and loans are essential financial access instruments for productive investment, but also for risk mitigation to external shocks and unforeseen needs. Innovative models of agriculture finance have proved to be successful, including arrangements within contract farming, agro-dealer loans and warehouse receipts;"}, {"bbox": [103, 322, 1120, 429], "category": "List-item", "text": "* **Access to finance and lending to private sector** is also very limited, if not inexistent. It is necessary to build the critical mass for commercial development and to facilitate use of EFSD+ or EIB funding sources/guarantees. Capital intensive horticulture has potential for private sector investment and did already benefit from EIB credit lines in the past (albeit at a limited scale);"}, {"bbox": [103, 435, 1120, 542], "category": "List-item", "text": "* **Constraints of regulatory nature** represents also a challenge in relation to access in due time of required information and speed in processing trade procedures. While assistance has been provided under previous EPA support, this need to be scaled up, but more particularly be developed on-line so that all actors an access information and can process documentation without delays."}, {"bbox": [103, 547, 1120, 627], "category": "List-item", "text": "* **Lack of access to finance by private sector** requires a financial facilitation process in the form of grant support, ensuring that the grants will benefit the sector and not produce benefits to a limited number of private operators and distort markets."}, {"bbox": [103, 633, 1120, 740], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Rather general one-size-fits-all approaches have shown little return. Agro-ecological conditions, options for access to inputs and related production costs, as well as access to markets vary widely, even within the same province. In this regard, the generation of **solid evidence and an adequate level of flexibility and adaptability** during implementation are essential for ensuring a context-specific approach / response;"}, {"bbox": [103, 745, 1120, 905], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Experience also shows that clear **target group identification** from the onset of the programmes strongly determines success. Particularly for Specific Objective 2 of the Action, the identification of lead farmers that are innovative and recognised within their community fosters the adoption of new climate smart practices and technologies. Similarly, the identification of emerging farmers and entrepreneurs with growth potential as well as firms with their supply clusters can drive the development of value chains and result in employment and income generation;"}, {"bbox": [103, 910, 1120, 964], "category": "List-item", "text": "* **Digitalisation** is a major issue to be developed, both for export processing, but also for local trade development along the national corridors;"}, {"bbox": [103, 970, 1120, 1050], "category": "List-item", "text": "* It is essential to involve both men and women in all aspects of the value chain, from production to marketing. Women often face specific barriers to participation in agriculture, such as limited access to land and credit, and addressing these barriers is critical to promoting **gender equality and inclusive development**;"}, {"bbox": [103, 1055, 1120, 1160], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Under EU-funded programmes, **geographical distribution** of actions (ZAGP or ZRBF programmes, ending in 2023) and **number of value chains** (ZAGP programme) were too wide, overlapping with often similar activities, covering regions with very different economic dynamics, with insufficient critical mass to ensure the full achievement of foreseen outcomes."}, {"bbox": [100, 1215, 426, 1245], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 3.5 The Intervention Logic"}, {"bbox": [81, 1264, 1120, 1344], "category": "Text", "text": "The intervention logic embraces a **multi-level and multi-stakeholder approach to agricultural development**, with a focus on both the local and regional/international dimensions, and it is structured around three strategic components centred on:"}, {"bbox": [120, 1353, 1040, 1380], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Specific Objective 1: Support to the horticulture value chain development with a focus on export"}, {"bbox": [120, 1387, 1120, 1441], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Specific Objective 2: Support to the drought-resistant crops value chain development, with a focus on traditional grains"}, {"bbox": [120, 1448, 1120, 1503], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Specific Objective 3: Support to private investments in renewable energy mainly for, but not limited to value-chain development"}, {"bbox": [81, 1510, 1120, 1617], "category": "Text", "text": "It is based on global evidence and on context specific lessons learnt built under previous EU and not-EU funded agricultural programmes. Specific Objectives 1 and 3 will have a national coverage, while Specific Objective 2 of the Action will be implemented in targeted districts along areas with commercial potential for drought resistant crops."}, {"bbox": [597, 1639, 620, 1661], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "19"}]