IFC is implementing or has completed the following advisory projects:
CURRENT PROJECTS
Advisory Services to Deciduous Fruit Farmers
2002 - present
With funding from the Government of Greece
IFC is implementing a 3-year, two-phased advisory support program to help Bulgarian fruit farmers recover from economic decline. Twenty-five peach and 35 apricot farmers were selected for a pilot demonstration program under the terms of a contracting arrangement with fruit processor and project stake-holder, Florina. The program is addressing chronic weaknesses in the supply chain from grower through producer to market/processor. To date, the program is producing solid results: project farmers have increased production and sales revenues by 262% for apricots, and product quality has improved significantly for both fruits, resulting in higher profit margins. IFC and the consulting team have also:
1. Educated 120 growers addressing issues such as fungicide, fertilizer, pesticide applications; crop trimming, and pruning; irrigation operations, harvesting; packing, and transport;
2. Facilitated grower/processor meetings to arrange the purchase of fruit;
3. Produced training booklets on peach and apricot applications, marketing and cooperation and technical advisory monitoring;
4. Resulted in ongoing research for three potential demonstration/trial plots (Plovdiv, Sliven and Silistra);
5. Produced a summary financial analysis and review of the 2003 production season.
COMPLETED PROJECTS
Capacity Building Advisory Services to Bulgarian American Credit Bank
2000-2001
With funding from the Government of Netherlands
An advisory program in the financial markets sector has enabled the Bulgarian American Bank, an IFC investment client, to greatly improve its treasury operations. As a result, the Bank is now in a position to offer new products such as certificate of deposits (CDs) and mortgage bonds in addition to greater flexibility in loan structuring. The advisory program has increased the value of the Bank as an institution, and has also increased the impact of the Bank on the Bulgarian financial and SME sectors.
Marketing and Business Planning Assistance to Furniture Manufacturers
2002
With funding from the Government of Sweden
This advisory project helped three furniture manufacturers to develop business plans for modernizing and expanding operations. The advisory program helped the firms diversify sales, develop better marketing strategies, and identify new export markets.
