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Agriculture Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED)

Sector: 
Economic Growth
Region:  North, Center, South, Transnistria

The Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED) will work on improving the competitiveness of Moldovan high value agriculture (HVA) by addressing binding constraints in targeted fruit and vegetable value chains at the marketing, production and policy levels. Complementing the upcoming Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) investment in irrigation system rehabilitation, ACED will provide critical market development and technical assistance support needed by beneficiaries as they transition to irrigated HVA production. ACED will also represent USAID’s first substantial enterprise development effort in Transnistria and will focus on helping micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the Transnistrian region grow and become more competitive.

The new pruning method will allow Mr Cojocaru to better care for the 160,000 cherry, peach, apricot and plum trees he has planted.

There is a saying in Moldova that "Big trees produce big crops."  But that saying may no longer be true after the introduction of a special pruning technique that allows smaller trees  to provide a harvest  comparable to their normal-sized relatives.

Through Agrostoc Moldovan farmers gained access to the quality and cost-effective inputs they needed to improve their own businesses.

Agrostoc, Moldova’s largest and most successful agricultural cooperative recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Agrostoc is an example of the sustainable impact of a close partnership between two projects of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – the Private Farmer Commercialization Program and the Private Farmers Assistance Program.

Moldovan Minister of State Victor Bodiu and the U.S. Chargé d ’Affairs Marcus Micheli shake hands after the signing of the Amendment. (Photo credit: Roman Purici)

On August 25, the U.S. Government and Government of Moldova signed an amendment to increase funding in an economic growth assistance agreement signed on July 2, 2010. Under the amendment, the U.S. Government, represented by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), extended $10 million to Moldova, in addition to an initial grant of $10.1 million.

Alexandru Vasiliev recounts his story of entrepreneurship in Moldova’s agriculture sector (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Grosser).

If you ask Alexandru Vasiliev why he became a farmer he responds that farming is in his blood. Passion for farming, however, was not enough to qualify Alexandru for a loan in his country of Moldova.

The ACED activities will improve the competitiveness of Moldovan fresh fruits and vegetables. While Moldova’s climate is favorable to growing fruits and vegetables, and its economy has historically relied heavily on agriculture, the crops from small and medium farmers did not meet the standards of European markets. Growers needed access to these new markets and training on how to sell their goods there.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) have agreed to partner in providing market development support, technical assistance and training in the area of High Value Agriculture (HVA) in one of Europe’s poorest countries.