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Lesson
Successful introduction of a new crop may require support from both private sector and government. Through the project, PRAN has introduced cassava in Bangladesh at commercial scale. Its first approaches to farmers were in 2014. PRAN has accessed support from multilateral development banks and nongovernment organizations to develop the crop but interaction with the government appears to have been limited.

Project Number: 46904-014
Project Name: Sylvan Agriculture Limited PRAN Agribusiness Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Additional studies to confirm project impacts are important when ADB is delivering first-time projects. This project was ADB’s first private sector agriculture project since 1985 and at the time of appraisal very few recent private sector approvals had been made in Bangladesh. The gender and poverty impact studies were undertaken at ADB’s request to identify the importance of the project for women, factory workers, and contract farmers. These were high-quality assessments and provided recommendations, some of which were incorporated into the second ADB loan to SAL.

Project Number: 46904-014
Project Name: Sylvan Agriculture Limited PRAN Agribusiness Project
Report Date:
Lesson
To confirm development outcomes, both clear definitions identifying the target beneficiaries and clear detailed records of participation are required. The project design did not provide a clear definition of contract farmers. It was therefore unclear whether only the lead contract farmer should be counted toward the outcome target number of farmers, or whether the group of farmers represented by the lead farmer should be included, or whether the entire cohort of lead farmers, lead farmer groups, and seasonal workers was covered by the term.

Project Number: 46904-014
Project Name: Sylvan Agriculture Limited PRAN Agribusiness Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Project outcome targets must be set at appropriate levels and risks must be recognized and appropriately mitigated. The evaluation recognized that this was the first agribusiness project done by ADB private sector operations since 1985 and that familiarity with contract farming may have been limited at the time of appraisal. The target of 25,000 contract farmers for SAL’s operations appears to have been formulated based solely on the starch plant’s capacity, rather than on specific analysis of likely farmer participation.

Project Number: 46904-014
Project Name: Sylvan Agriculture Limited PRAN Agribusiness Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Selecting a strong sponsor with alignment on development targets is critical to achieving results. PRAN is a flagship company in Bangladesh with sufficient corporate experience, resources, and knowledge to develop and deliver agribusiness projects. Through its newly established group company, SAL, the project was constructed to appropriate standards on time and under budget. All the required permissions were obtained, and the project complied with government regulations and ADB requirements. Contract farmers and factory staff benefited from the project.

Project Number: 46904-014
Project Name: Sylvan Agriculture Limited PRAN Agribusiness Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The riverbank erosion management system can play a crucial role in sustaining the adaptive approach beyond the life of the project. Greater clarity is needed on what a riverbank erosion management system (REMS) consists of and what institutional setting is required to make it sustainable. Effective operation of a REMS needs to be based on a crystal-clear consensus on the roles of local stakeholders, implementation arrangements, and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) coordination and financial commitment.

Project Number: 34038-013
Project Name: Jamuna-Meghna River Erosion Mitigation Project
Report Date:
Lesson
An adaptive approach can work effectively to mitigate riverbank erosion if it is executed to its full extent. Such riverbank protection work requires persistent commitment and continuous effort, unlike a one-time physical investment. Effective mitigation measures using geo-bags along riverbanks requires the implementation of an adaptive approach. O&M activities, including routine maintenance, need to be continuously implemented in parallel.

Project Number: 34038-013
Project Name: Jamuna-Meghna River Erosion Mitigation Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Agreement of all project stakeholders on the use of an adaptive approach and on O&M at the design stage is crucial for achieving project results. More time should have been spent during project design to ensure there was a common understanding on the following questions: What activities are required for the adaptive approach? What is the difference between the adaptive approach and O&M? Who is responsible for the implementation of the adaptive approach and O&M? How is the adaptive approach to be implemented after the project?

Project Number: 34038-013
Project Name: Jamuna-Meghna River Erosion Mitigation Project
Report Date: