Market Development Facility (MDF)

4/4- Recap: #AidforTrade insights MDF and partners participated in the World Trade Organization’s Aid for Trade Global Review 2024 in Geneva – an opportunity to highlight Australia’s investments in trade mainstreaming, digital connectivity and food security in the Indo-Pacific. Daniel Leong spoke about Australia’s MDF #TimorLeste, Asosiasaun Café Timor (ACT), and Kape Diem Coffee Lab’s work to elevate Timor-Leste coffee to the specialty market by implementing rejuvenating planting techniques, increasing production, and establishing connections with international buyers. These efforts have significantly contributed to the recognition of Timor-Leste specialty coffee in the international market, paving the way for a prosperous future for the country's coffee industry. Sagufta Salma Janif highlighted MDF #Fiji and Outsource Fiji’s efforts to support the growth of Fiji's outsourcing services sector, creating more jobs for Fijian people and contributing to the resilience of the national economy. The development discussions ended on the note that MDF and its partners’ efforts are playing a pivotal role in enhancing #tradeinnovation and #digitalconnectivity via sustainable business models. Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact #foodsecurity #agribusiness #digitalconnectivity #industryleaders #Fiji #TimorLeste

MDF #SriLanka is excited to announce a new collaboration with Ceylon Agro Food Technologies (Pvt) Ltd (CAFT) to explore the potential of #drone rental services in improving smallholder farmer productivity. This innovative partnership will focus on using drones for efficient #seed distribution, as well as targeted fertiliser and pesticide application. CAFT is a leading #agricultural research and development organisation in Sri Lanka, specialising in precision farming and agro-processing solutions for key sectors. CAFT produces its advanced agricultural technologies, including drones, locally and is committed to driving #innovation in Sri Lankan agriculture. While drone technology is relatively new in local agriculture, its adoption among smallholder farmers has shown promise. Through this partnership, we aim to assess the commercial feasibility of offering drone spraying services through a regional center in Polonnaruwa. Smallholder farmers will have the opportunity to rent out the drones as required.  This initiative is expected to promote #climateresilient practices among smallholder farmers, as it will improve #resourceefficiency versus using traditional spraying methods, provide substantial cost and time savings, and contribute to reduced production costs. Stay tuned for updates as we move forward with this pioneering project! Maryam P. Malik Sheriffdeen Hiruni Liyanarachchi Nadhia Najeeb

Join our team in #SriLanka today!  Are you diligent in financial functions and looking to use your strong analytical skills?  Apply now: Financial Officer: https://lnkd.in/g4ZmVD4n Do you have a keen eye for maintaining a clean and welcoming workspace? Office Assistant: https://lnkd.in/gKCJfx7g If you’ve got what it takes for either role apply on or before 21 November. Don’t miss out!

MORDI Tonga Trust, in collaboration with #MDF #PacificRegional, recently conducted a comprehensive survey of vanilla farmers in #Tonga to understand farming and selling practices. The survey identified barriers farmers face, but also opportunities for market growth and higher incomes.    Besides examining vanilla cultivation and commercial practices, the survey studied the cultivation of other key crops, the roles of men and women in vanilla farming – emphasising women’s #economicempowerment – and the effects of extreme weather events, especially those driven by #climatechange, on farming activities and livelihoods.    You can view a summary of the survey analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gJvMX6y9     #VanillaInsights #ClimateResilience #MDFinPacific Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact

MDF #SriLanka is excited to announce a partnership with Fort Resorts to champion inclusive opportunities for #women in tourism. Women represent less than 10% of Sri Lanka's tourism workforce. Unlocking barriers to their participation will help mitigate the overall #labourshortage in the industry and propel growth of the country’s #tourism sector, while giving women access to economic opportunities. This collaboration will focus on comprehensive training in soft skills and technical skills for the workforce of several Fort Hotels properties, with a focus on women employees. This marks the inception of a wider effort across #recruitment and retention of women in tourism and will build on the ongoing grassroots campaign by Fort Hotels to encourage more women to join their workforce and help remove the stigma around women working in tourism. MDF is #committed to increasing women’s participation in tourism by supporting new opportunities with business partners keen to drive meaningful #economic and #social impact in Sri Lanka! Maryam P. Subraja Subramaniam Ruchira De Silva

Nautical tourism consultancy Archipelagoes, in collaboration with Tonga Tourism (TTA) and supported by #MDFPacificRegional, has started work on creating a yachting cruising guide and yachting maps for #Tonga.     The Pacific region is an ideal destination for yachts, given its many islands. However, to attract more yachties, destinations like Tonga require up-to-date informational material and maps.    The yachting guide and maps for Tonga will include details such as entry and departure requirements, local services and providers, information on fuelling and purchasing provisions, cultural norms, marine protected areas, waste discharge protocols, anchorages, and marinas.     The firm leading development of the guide, Archipelagoes, recently completed visits to Tonga’s Ha’apai and Vava’u islands, meeting with the customs, health, biosecurity and fisheries departments.    Once completed, the cruising guide and maps will be shared with tourism stakeholders as a comprehensive resource that can attract more yachting tourists to Tonga.     #YachtingTourism #MDFinPacific Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact

#Tonga’s Ministry of Trade and Economic Development (MTED), in collaboration with #MDFPacificRegional, has started the latest round of its Tonga Business Accelerator program. This follows MDF support for the successful training of a new cohort of business coaches earlier in 2024.       The Tonga Business Accelerator aims to enhance the operations of local businesses in areas such as human resources, marketing, strategy and financial management. The first group of businesses from Tongatapu completed the accelerator program on Wednesday, 23 October.     📢 What participants are saying: ✅ Mr. Molisi Kilisimasi, sole proprietor of JKL Auto Services, stated that the sessions were insightful as the coaches added their own experiences to the presentations. He added that he enjoyed the finance session the most as it was an area he had wanted to improve in. ✅ Ms. Malia Faleofa, an Investment Officer from the Business Support Division at MTED, emphasised that the areas covered through the accelerator program were extremely useful for newly registered businesses as they provided foundational knowledge on how businesses operate. She added that MTED received great feedback from the participants that will help them improve upcoming accelerators.     At an awards ceremony held after the program, participants were presented completion certificates by First Secretary Development for the Australian High Commission in Tonga, Ms. Alison Gow. There will be two more business accelerators in Tongatapu in the next few weeks, to be followed by accelerators in Vava’u, ‘Eua and Ha’apai.    #BusinessAccelerator #BusinessDevelopment #MDFinPacific Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact

💡 🌏 What kind of support do Indo-Pacific #businesses #value the most? We spoke to our businesses #partners in frontier markets to find out. Businesses listed support with: 🏪 Buying differently 🧮 Selling differently 📢 Introducing new products, and 💲 Developing inclusive business models that are commercially feasible. Hear from our partners, who range from large-scale outsourcing services providers, to medium-scale agribusinesses and small-scale tourism operators, in MDF’s latest research: https://lnkd.in/gHRTUi6x

Join our team! 🌟 We’re seeking a skilled Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (#GEDSI) Adviser with #privatesector or market #systems development experience to help #MDF implement best practices in mainstreaming GEDSI across our projects with business and government partners. In this role, you’ll provide technical advice to our country offices, review and enhance GEDSI projects, and discover new ways to integrate GEDSI into our work plans. Visit the link to learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gsj55ft6  #InclusiveGrowth #JobOpportunity #JoinUs #GEDSIjobs Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact

#Tourism is vital for economic development in the #Pacific, driving growth, foreign exchange and employment. However, a shortage of quality marketing content that can draw tourists to the region hinders tourism growth throughout the Pacific.     To address this shortage, Fiji Airways in partnership with #MDFPacificRegional and in collaboration with the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO), is developing destination marketing materials, including high-quality photographs and videos, that showcase Vanuatu’s key tourist attractions and activities.     The photo and video shoots were led by Fiji Airways, with VTO providing expertise in local knowledge and ensuring alignment with Vanuatu’s national tourism strategies and branding. The final content will be made available by Fiji Airways to VTO, key tourism stakeholders and tourism businesses in Vanuatu, so that the tourism sector as a whole can access and benefit from this material.    Photography and videography was completed on Efate and Santo in Vanuatu in October 2024.     #DestinationMarketing #PacificTourism #MDFinPacific Palladium: Make It Possible Swisscontact