Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia. COVID Recovery and Resilience Activity: Comprehensive Assessment of Post-Harvest Enterprises, 21 November 2021- 30 June 2024

Niroula, N. (2024). Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia. COVID Recovery and Resilience Activity: Comprehensive Assessment of Post-Harvest Enterprises, 21 November 2021- 30 June 2024. CSISA. https://hdl.handle.net/10883/35329

The assessment report 2024 is a summary of the progress based on the objectives set by the USAID-funded CSISA Project. This report highlights the objectives, the work approaches, and the results of the set objectives in the given period. The report also provides highlights of the business status of post-harvest enterprises working in the seven different districts - Kailai, Kanchanpur, Bunke, Bardiya, Shurket, Dang, and Kapilvastu - immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. The activities carried out by the project in coordination with both public and private stakeholders to achieve the set objectives are summarized in the report. CSISA supported 86 post-harvest enterprises across seven districts through the COVID-19 Response and Recovery program. CSISA supported 86 post-harvest enterprises by linking them with financial institutions such as banks and cooperatives, providing them with technical and financial training with materials support; however, 65 are actively operating their business and reaching out to 2,199 farmers who directly benefited from those post-harvest enterprises. Among 65 post-harvest business, 30 were from dairy processing, 14 from pickle production, 14 from sauce production, 5 from spice processing, and 2 from Agri-processing and drying. Similarly, a noteworthy 55% are owned by women, while 35% are owned by individuals from marginalized groups, including Dalit, Disadvantaged Janajatis, and Disadvantaged Madhesi communities. Similarly, a 46 to 93% increase in revenues growth was generated by the port-harvest enterprises across all the CSISA working districts.