Agricultural Growth Program-II (AGP2)
AGP is a multifaceted investment program supporting agricultural productivity and commercialization focusing on high agricultural potential areas to address some of the key constraints to agricultural growth and thereby contribute to overall economic growth and transformation. It is a program approach and is viewed by Government as the key investment mechanism for development partners and government to collaborate on. The further growth of the agriculture sector is expected to feature prominently in the second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II), currently under implementation. The Second Agricultural Growth Program (AGP II) would be aligned with GTP II, thereby contributing to the achievement of targets set for agriculture sector growth. The independent impact evaluations, studies and assessments conducted during the first phase have been used in designing the AGP II to improve implementation and maximize the overall impact of the program.
The Program Development Objective is “to increase agricultural productivity and commercialization of small holder farmers targeted by the Program and contributes to dietary diversity and consumption at HH level.” Alike the preceding Program, AGP II will also give due attention to the increased participation of women and youth. The program contributes to the higher-level goal of sustainable food security and agricultural transformation by developing untapped potential of well-endowed areas. AGP II will operate in 157 woredas selected from 7 national regional states and one city administration of the country which have the highest growth potential, primarily based on agro-ecological conditions and access to markets. The 96 woredas that were benefited from the AGP I interventions will also be the beneficiaries during the AGP II and this will further consolidate past achievements and strengthen capacities built during the second phase. In the second phase of the program, additional 61 woredas are included. The woredas are distributed among the following national regional states and city administration: Amhara, Oromiya, SNNPR, Tigray, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Harari and Dire Dawa city administration. The expansion into the new national regional states and Dire Dawa city administration would consist of two woredas in each of Benishangul-Gumuz and Gambella, and one in each of Harari and Dire Dawa.
To achieve its objectives, AGP II will follow: (a) Comprehensive schemes that would respond to national strategic goals; (b) demand driven and decentralized (participatory) planning approach; (c) focus on selected areas and value chains; (d) considers cross cutting issues particularly, gender, nutrition and climate smart agriculture; (e) sustainable approaches through enhancing capacity of actors in development; (e) mechanisms that enhance complementarities and linkages within and between the different components of the Program, and other aligned programs and projects within MOANR.