agriculture and marketing

In developing countries where the biggest share of the population lives in rural areas and depends on agricultural production, agricultural development plays a key role in poverty alleviation and sustainable growth. It creates a basis for sustainable rural development and improvement of living standards. Through appropriate management of land, water, and waste agriculture can promote environmental sustainability. Agricultural development promoted by the donors is aimed to increase production efficiency and promote new technologies and sustainable use of resources. Today when the World faces the challenge of nearly doubling food production in order to meet the food needs of an increasing population, combined with environmental challenges, agricultural development receives an increased importance.

ABG experience in the sector covers:

• Development of agriculture, including quality of agricultural production, innovations in production cycle etc.;
• Agricultural research, know-how transfer and innovation, including institutional capacity building in the national research institution, field trials, surveys;
• Development of livestock sector including veterinary services, desease control and surveillance systems, livestock registration;
• Development of agricultural trade, including disadvantaged areas (export stimulation strategies, commodity exchanges, warehouses and retail trade, geographic indicators etc.);
• Marketing of agricultural products, including standardisation and certification, support to national marketing associations;
• Establishment of Market Information Systems to increase market transparency and incomes of rural producers;
• Processing industry development;
• Risk management and agricultural insurance;
• Development of rural advisory services and local support infrastructure, e.g. rural Enterprise Development Agencies, machinery rings, rural business-incubators etc.