The identification of business opportunities informs the program how to best approach supplier upgrading. PFID provides the required technical assistance and training to farmers in order to address technical gaps. Such technical gaps include sorting, packing, uniform ripening controls and ensuring disease-free production.
Addressing these bottlenecks is the emphasis of this area, with specific technical components that include:
- Good business practices (GBP) – Building capacity to establish an official producer organization and in general business administration thereafter.
- Good agricultural practices (GAP) – Building capacity in CAPGAP standards, including adoption in producers’ own fields.
- Good post harvest practices – Emphasizing the end stages of Good Agricultural Practices, including harvesting, sorting and grading, storage, cooling and minimal packing considerations .
- Ongoing technical assistance for marketing and production – Provision of technical assistance as a cross-cutting component, i.e. across all program areas.
- Potentially a revolving fund for provision of essential small infrastructure or equipment needs.
