Indicative Sample of Expression of Interest (eoi)

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The applicant has built a reasonably good understanding of the required actions to migrate to the internationally accepted best practices with respect to banana plantation and post harvest handling of the fruit. Minimum amount of technical support from experts would be required to fill the existing gaps. Areas that would need special attention are: introducing banana varieties with better export potential; using tissue cultured planting material; covering fruit with fungicide treated bags; using appropriate methods and equipments for harvesting bunch from the plant and de-handing the fruit; transporting fruit from orchards to the pack house. As part of this project a pack house and ripening chamber will also be built to enable exports.

5. Project Goal and Relevance to COMPANY/ PROJECT Objectives

Describe, in not more than half a page, the overall goal of the project and how it is in accordance with COMPANY objectives. Also briefly explain what will be the short and long-term impacts of the project on agri economy?

The overall goal of this project is to enable high quality banana exports to neighboring countries through:

- The introduction of newer varieties

- Technical assistance in crop management and post harvest handling of fruit

- Infrastructure development (mainly pack house)

- Equipments (mainly cold room with ripening equipment)

This goal is in alliance with COMPANY’s objective of strengthening horticulture value chain to increase sales to foreign and domestic markets.

Presently there are three major problems faced by this high value crop:

- Quality of planting material used

- Overall crop management including fruit harvesting methodology

- Post harvest handling of fruit including transportation and packaging.

This project will be a successful demonstration of how to overcome these problems and set an example for the others to follow. Since profit margins are good so replication impact of this project could be huge for horticulture economy.

6. Measurable Project Objectives/Milestones and Key Activities

Please briefly mention all project objectives with key activities to achieve these objectives.

Project Objectives/Milestones

Key Activities

Deadlines for each Activity

1)Upgrading the Crop Management and Post Harvest Fruit Handling Processes:

Introducing banana varieties with better export potential;

using tissue cultured planting material;

covering fruit with fungicide treated bags;

using appropriate methods and equipments for harvesting bunch from the plant and de-handing the fruit;

Transporting fruit from orchards to the pack house.

2)Building a pack house

The pack house would require, shed of 5,000 square feet. Area for keeping bunches brought from the orchards;

area for de-handing;

water tanks or tubs to wash the fruit with fungicide treated water;

water tanks or tubs to treat fruit with chlorine to restrict sap burns;

conveyor belt (XX meters by XX meters) for grading;

packing station;

area for storing empty cartons and area for storing filled cartons

3) Building a Cold Store with Banana Ripening Facilities

6 rooms will be built, each one having 15 X 40 X 12 feet dimensions and about 12 – 15 metric tons capacity. Duration each batch of banana takes for ripening in ripening chamber is around 6 days.

7. Project Implementation & Sustainability Methodology

Provide, in not more than one & half page, a well-articulated implementation methodology with special focus on community involvement in the design and implementation of proposed project, mechanism for procurement of goods & services, conflict resolution, systematic flow of activities, data management and monitoring etc.). Also provide information on project’s self sustainability after support from external sources cease to exist.

Risks

Proposed Mitigation/Implementation

Introduction of newer production techniques would increase the cost

Access to export markets and ability to sell superior quality fruit in the local market as well as cut down on wastage due to better fruit handling is likely to more than compensate the increase in operational cost

Project applicant’s inability to effectively migrate to proposed crop / post harvest management techniques

Applicant is a well educated experienced grower who has demonstrated ability to adopt improved management practices as well as ability to develop technical capabilities like tissue culture production of plants. Hence it is safe to assume that he would successfully manage to migrate to recommended management techniques and operational processes

Failure to exploit the export market

Definite demand for banana, availability of good quality raw material and effective marketing plan indicate towards relatively low risk of failure on this count

Failure to develop the tissue culture facility

Sponsor has already lined up all the required support for developing the laboratory. Even if the laboratory fails to operate as planned it would not drastically affect the continuity of pack house operations. Disease free plants can be purchased from other sources in worst case scenario

Shortage of raw material

Existing