Project Name: USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity (AIFA) Project

Project Introduction:
Winrock International is implementing the USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Project, a regional project with activities in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal ‍as led partner where Dhaka Ahsania Mission is working as implementing partner.  The primary objective of the project is to address common regional issues causing poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation across the region. The project facilitates the exchange of agricultural innovation and technology to increase agricultural productivity with especially horticulture and aquaculture.
This TOR covers support to the implementation of field testing of Pest Exclusion Nets – one of the projects’s targeted technologies. The use of pest exclusion nets in Bangladesh is currently very limited, and the purpose of project testing is to confirm the cost/benefit of the technology for smallholders in Bangladesh, study the smallholder market for the product and test the effectiveness of distribution models for the technology.
A key function of the USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Project is to research new market information in the Project’s target countries to facilitate the establishment of supply chains for transferring agricultural innovations to smallholder farmers in those countries. This market information is mainly derived from field testing the technologies, which are carried out by in-country partners, usually an academic institute and an NGO to study the benefits on agricultural production, the users’ experience and appropriateness of the innovation within their physical and socioeconomic environment.
Field testing under this TOR covers six farmers’ plots. These sites are divided into two geographically varied locations in the country. At each location, which could be a province, district or geographic area, there are three plots farmed by three different households. One is led by a woman, another by a man and the last by a youth. Also at each location, three focus groups are established including one male farmers group, one female farmers group and one value chain actors group. The latter comprises agricultural supply retailers, extension workers, produce traders, consumers and other interested persons. Each focus group has 15 members and their function is to provide feedback on the innovation after they have been shown its application on the lead farmers’ test plots.
Before field testing can begin, trainings to impart the necessary skills for using the technology and understanding data collection and management are provided to the responsible in-country staff from the academic institute and NGO or other implementing partners. The partner organization that is responsible for overseeing the farmer-led field tests then trains the participating farmers on how to conduct the field test, as well as the focus group members on the use of the technology, its expected benefits and change of behavior that is necessary to use the technology.

Project Agreement Number: AID-486-A-15-00005

Overall Objective:
To understand the innovation’s suitability within the economic and sociocultural context of Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. This will provide a basis for product localization, marketing and scaling up.
Specific Objectives:

• To increase safe vegetable production.
• To expand the marketing or new field of Net vegetable

Outputs:

• PEN 8 trial plots will be set up.
• 8 people on the PEN will receive technical training
• Chemical/Toxic free vegetable production will be increased
• Linkages will be trying to create a market for the sale of toxic free vegetable

Project Components:
Farmer test sites established, Winter season Implementation, Summer season Implementation, Draft final report and Final report.

Major Activities:

• Conduct farmers’ field trial
• Data collection, processing and analysis
• Results’ documentation / Reporting

Project Participants (Direct):

Project Duration: 30 November 2016 to 31 October 2017
Financial partner (Donor): Winrock International (through USAID)
Implementing partner (if any): Not Applicable
Project Location/s and number of Field offices: Sadar Upazila, Jessore and Mithapukur, Rangpur and # Field Offices = 0
Project Budget: Tk. 2,418,213 (BDT)
Number of project staffs and volunteers :

Contact Person:
Name & Designation: Md.Niamul Kabir, Project Coordinator
Email:niamulkbr@yahoo.com, Cell : 01811480006, 01721130905