MI-APRACA Project Pilots the Agricultural Value Chain Assessment and Strengthening Training Modules
August 16, 2022
Encouraging more institutions to strengthen agricultural value chain and prioritize it in their national agenda, Mekong Institute (MI) and the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA) jointly organized the Regional Training of Trainers on Agricultural Value Chain Assessment and Strengthening, introducing the newly developed modules of the latter and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), from August 16 to 17, 2022 at the MI Training Center in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
This two-day course was conducted under the project ‘Supporting Learning and Capabilities for Scaling Up Agricultural Finance Activities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)’ to increase the knowledge base of financial institutions, government agencies, development organizations, and the academe with principles and practices of value chain assessment.
“Understanding the agricultural value chain and determining how it can effectively function as a whole is valuable in enhancing the region’s agribusiness and its potential investments,” said Ms. Maria Theresa Medialdia, Director of the Agricultural Development and Commercialization Department in MI during her opening remarks. She expressed her hope to make the training of trainers a starting point for more value chain training programs in GMS countries.
Dr. Prasun Kumar Das, Secretary General of APRACA, delivered all three modules and provided inputs on how the participants can use these modules in conducting the same training programs.
The training was attended by 16 selected participants from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet Nam who are expected to deliver the same training program in their respective countries.