June 06, 2023, Janakpur, Nepal – GGGI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoLMAC), has successfully concluded its fifth Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting for the KOICA-GGGI Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) project. The TAC, serving as the project’s apex governing body, provides valuable guidance for the implementation of the initiative. The TAC members convene on a quarterly basis to assess the project’s advancements and provide strategic and operational guidance.
Under the esteemed chairmanship of Dr. Namrata Singh, Secretary of MoLMAC, the recent meeting was held to share the project’s progress, discuss the status of the Terai Agribusiness and Enterprise Challenge Fund (TAECF), and present the work plan for the upcoming quarter. Distinguished guest Ms. Yoonhee Chung, Deputy Director of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Nepal Country Office, attended the meeting, lending her expertise to the proceedings.
Mr. Purusottam Prasad Gupta, Senior Project Coordination Officer at GGGI, provided a project update since last quarter. Under the Terai Agribusiness and Enterprise Challenge Fund, 60 enterprises were shortlisted from a pool of 216 applications. Physical verification visits were conducted to assess the suitability of the shortlisted enterprises. A team of experts formed as sub-committee of TAC then endorsed these shortlisted enterprises. These candidates have been requested to submit full proposals. In the next quarter, the team will finalize the proposals. Additionally, the procurement of emergency and communication equipment for the establishment of the Local Emergency Operations Centers (LEOCs) has been completed. GGGI inaugurated the first LEOC in Mithila Bihari Municipality yesterday. The project will set up LEOCs in seven additional municipalities involved in the project. Nonetheless, all ten project municipalities will receive technical assistance in order to effectively establish and operate their LEOCs. In addition, the team will support all project municipalities in developing their climate smart agriculture plans. For this, capacity-building training, exposure visits, demonstrations, etc. are planned.
“The KOICA-GGGI Climate Smart Agriculture project is making commendable progress since its project launch in August 2022. We have achieved significant milestones, including the selection of grantees for the TAECF and the establishment of the Local Emergency Operation Center,” stated Dr. Lasse Ringius, GGGI’s Country Representative, emphasizing the project’s notable advancements.
Ms. Yoonhee shared her enthusiasm for participating in the TAC meeting in person and observing the rigorous discussions firsthand. She shared her confidence in the project saying that it’s headed in the right direction and requested all the stakeholders to remain committed to the project. Concluding the meeting, Dr. Singh extended her gratitude to all participants and congratulated the project team for achieving important milestones of the project.
The KOICA-GGGI Climate Smart Agriculture project is funded by KOICA and implemented by GGGI in partnership with MoLMAC. It aims to support the widespread adoption of climate-smart agriculture to reduce vulnerability and improve food and job security, especially for women, youth, and returned migrant workers in the Terai Flood Plain region.