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USAID Awards Inma Agribusiness Program in Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2007
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded the contract for the Inma Agribusiness Program in Iraq to Louis Berger Group, Inc., a professional services firm based in New Jersey. Inma is a three-year, $343 million program, with two one-year option periods. Complementing USAID's other economic growth programs, Inma will work with the Government of Iraq to support the development of agribusinesses and agricultural markets. This activity will improve the livelihoods of farmers while energizing Iraq's agriculture industry, the single largest source of employment and second largest contributor to the overall gross domestic product in the country.

Inma, meaning "growth" in Arabic, will help build meaningful linkages between farmers, agribusinesses, financial services, and domestic and international markets. Technical advisors will support national and local government agencies as they adapt to the rapidly evolving legal, regulatory, and public service needs of a free market economy. By promoting public-private partnerships and dialogue, Inma will stimulate local and national policy-making opportunities.

Helping Iraqis transform local economies, Inma will work in close coordination with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) on the development of agribusinesses and value-added processing. Specifically, Inma will:

• Improve agricultural quality and productivity. Inma will train farmers on modern technical practices to achieve better yields for their crops and more productive livestock.
• Restore soil and water management systems. Program efforts will support farmers as they restore poorly functioning drainage facilities and improve irrigation practices.
• Increase the competitiveness of Iraqi agribusinesses. Inma will assist Iraqis as they improve food grades and standards for sanitary protocols, inspection procedures, and compliance criteria.
• Increase domestic and foreign partnerships. Inma advisors will support the Iraqi private sector as it establishes needed linkages with foreign enterprises and international markets.

For more information on USAID's Iraq program, please visit www.usaid.gov/iraq.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.

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