International Conference on Innovative Agricultural Value Chain Financing

April 28-29, 2015 at Hotel Serena Islamabad

In response to growing demand for better understanding on agricultural value chain financing, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in collaboration with APRACA and FAO, organized International Conference on Innovative Agricultural Value Chain Financing on 28-29 April 2015 at Hotel Serena Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan. The event gathered over 200 participants including high level Officials, experts, practitioners, CEOs, Executives and Staff from Government agencies, International agencies, Financial Institutions, Research Institutes, Non-government organizations (NGOs) and Private Firms that engaged in AVCF.

AVCF is widely recognized as a tool or mechanism to improve access to finance for small producers, and to reduce cost and risk in financing.

National Policy Forum on Financial Risk Management and Agricultural Insurance System on 7-8 May 2015 at Sunway Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

APRACA FinServAccess Projectorganized National Policy Forum on Financial Risk Management and Agricultural Insurance System on 7-8 May 2015 at Sunway Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia aiming to develop and formulate policies related to financial management and ensure appropriate programs an agricultural insurance towards effective and efficient rural and agricultural development as well as to enhance and strengthen the key players and stakeholders, roles and responsibilities in rural finance and agricultural development particularly on risk management including agricultural insurance products, strategies and tools for acceptability and adaptation in various areas. The forum brought together 41 participants including executives, experts, practitioners, and staff of APRACA member and non-member institutions from India, Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia.

The workshop outputs include:  1) understanding the issues and concerns of financial institutions in relation to financial risk management and agricultural insurance; 2) policy recommendation in improving the condition of Cambodia Rural and Agricultural Development from the perspective of Rural Finance Sector.

Visit to Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank (MADB) and Department of Agricultural Planning Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar 11-15 May 2015

SG and FinServAccess  Project Manager, Dr. Marlowe Aquino paid their visit to MADB and Department of Agricultural Planning (DOAP)  in seeking of approval from the Myanmar authority to implement FinServAccess activities in Myanmar. This is the second attempt after the first one was made by the previous SG and Project Manager early last year. DOAP expressed his strong support to the project. Nonetheless, the full authority to approve is under the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation (MOAI). We have exerted many efforts in seeking appointment and approval. At any rate, we have not received any respond from MOAI. As such, we proposed IFAD that we will shift the program and budget for Myanmar to other appropriate county. 

With limited fund and technology, MADB is now in difficult situation to serve its clientele.  It needs to be financially and technically strengthened in order to provide sufficient and efficient products and services to Myanmar people.

Global Forum on Remittances and Development on 16-19 June 2015 in Milan, Italy 

Secretary General and Dr. Prasun Das participated in the Global Forum on Remittances and Development on 16-19 June 2015 in Milan, Italy as invited by IFAD

Over 230 Million people live outside the country they call home. According to International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), officially remittances recorded remittances to developing counties are expected to reach half a trillion dollars this year, representing significantly more than all foreign direct investment to developing countries, and over three time larger than official development assistance. Remittances are an extremely important and stable source of private inflows to developing countries, helping to sustain the wellbeing and future prospects of millions of families.

The Global Forum on Remittances and Development 2015 was organized by IFAD, World Bank, and European Commission (EU) on 16-19 June 2015 in Milan, Italy with the following objectives

          • Support national governments in adopting favourable regulatory frameworks that promote low-cost remittances and greater financial inclusion

          • Highlight and demonstrate the importance of international and domestic remittances, particularly their impact when linked to other financial services such as savings, insurance and loans

          • Exchange worldwide best practices and market oriented models

          • Promote the scaling-up of successful initiatives involving the private sector as agents of innovation

          • Contribute to the discussion and the thematic review of the post-2015 development agenda in the context of remittances, migration and development

GFRD 2015 brought together over 200 experts and stakeholders including those of APRACA member institutions to discuss and evaluate the great potential of remittances to and from Europe, and its global impact and implications.

International Day of Family Remittances- 16 June 2015

The opening of the Global Forum coincided with the first celebration of the International Day of Family Remittances, launched by IFAD. The purpose of this observance was to recognize and raise global awareness of the fundamental contributions made by migrant workers to the well-being of their families and communities of origin, and ways to promote policies and organization to maximize the development impact of these private flows.

Remittanceshas been increasingly important and their impact on agricultural investment and rural development asrural roads, warehouses, cold storage, rural complex, primary processing units has been developed to boost the value chain and all plays in the chain.