The SDC-funded Cambodia Horticulture Project Advancing Income and Nutrition (CHAIN) project is implemented by lead agency SNV in consortium with Swisscontact. CHAIN focuses on the development of the local safe vegetable value chain and market system in four target provinces; Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey. CHAIN supports female and male smallholder farmers (including ethnic minorities, where present) to increase sustainable production and improve farmer income and resilience. The project facilitates the empowerment of rural smallholder producer groups, while working with other stakeholders in the market system to promote pro-poor vegetable sector development.

CHAIN’s focus is towards an exit strategy and towards sustainable sector growth. It plans to work on consolidation of the interventions in the four provinces, while supporting a coordinated effort to address outstanding systemic constraints. In addition, considering that horticulture is a knowledge intensive sector, there is specific interest in sustainable models for knowledge and market information flow. To fulfil these objectives, CHAIN has identified the need for a sector analysis that will inform the design of the last phase of the project, support increased synergies of different stakeholders addressing constraints in the sector, including an enabling policy environment for small holder farmers.

The overall objective of the assignment is to assess and analyze the current status of the vegetable and fruit sector and the knowledge and information flows within the sector, as well as to recommend possible interventions to improve the competitiveness of this sector and sustainability of the CHAIN interventions where applicable. It would include also involve review and analysis of political economy environment that affect market access including relevant government policies.

CHAIN is looking for the consultant/firm to lead the Vegetable and Fruit Sub-Sector Assesement.