Mr. Toshio Shirahata, Head of Program Operations at AMDA-MINDS Headquarters, visited project implementation areas in Gorkha from 7^th to 9^th May (24^th to 26^th Baisakh). The primary purpose of the visit was to monitor field-level implementation of the PESHA Project, assess progress against project objectives, and gather first-hand observations on farmer engagement, and institutional partnerships.

The visit covered six wards across Gandaki Rural Municipality (Wards 2, 3, 4, 5) and Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality (Wards 5, 6, 7), encompassing coffee pulping centers, vegetable cultivation sites, farmer nurseries, and local government offices.

🌱 Key Strengths Observed

• Functional record-keeping: Systems at pulping centers are consistently maintained, ensuring transparency in cherry collection and parchment output.
• Japan visits trainees: Arjun Gurung and Krishna Bahadur Thapa are applying learnings on their farms, demonstrating tangible returns from the exposure visit investment.
• Nursery management: High-quality sapling stocks are maintained across multiple locations in both Rural Municipalities.
• Policy-level support: The RM Chairperson of Shahid Lakhan RM demonstrated strong ownership and commitment, signaling positive partnership potential.
• Role model farmers: Farmers like Ram Prasad Dahal showcase the commercial viability of coffee cultivation and inspire peers.
• Multi-crop integration: Coffee intercropped with chilli, citrus, and vegetables is gaining traction, diversifying and stabilizing household incomes.

⚠️ Areas Requiring Attention

• Post-harvest storage: Some pulping centers lack adequate storage, risking quality deterioration if processed coffee is not properly stored.
• Group registration: Only 14 of 52 groups are registered at RM level, limiting access to subsidies and collective benefits.
• Collective marketing: Joint shipment and collective sales remain underdeveloped; most farmers still sell individually.
• Digital banking: Subsidy disbursement via digital banking is not yet functional in Shahid Lakhan RM, requiring follow-up coordination.
• Quality consistency: Performance varies across pulping centers; targeted technical support is needed for weaker sites.

Conclusions:

The three-day visit to project implementation areas by AMDA-MINDS HQ representatives, affirmed the project’s relevance and the strong foundation that has been built over the past two years through farmer-led groups, nursery development, processing infrastructure, and institutional partnerships with local government. The visit also highlighted the critical role of Japan Programme trainees and role model farmers as catalysts for peer learning and community-level change.

However, as the project enters its third and final year, several critical challenges must be addressed to ensure long-term, self-reliant sustainability. Most notably, the need to strengthen market linkage systems, accelerate group registration, improve post-harvest storage, and support the transition toward farmer-led and institutionally anchored sustainability. Moving forward, project leadership remains aligned and committed to strategically consolidating these gains, ensuring the community is fully equipped for continued growth well beyond the project's lifespan.