OVERVIEW

RADP-South promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth for rural Afghans in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces. The program supports farmers and micro, small, medium and large agribusinesses to improve production, processing and commodity sales. Market systems are strengthened by using local agricultural firms to champion reforms. Ultimately, by using a market-led approach, RADP-South will increase the incomes of farmers, agribusinesses, and Veterinary Field Units, while raising awareness among farming families of proper nutrition and balanced diets.

ACTIVITIES

• Food and economic security
  • Train farmers in improved production practices, particularly in the wheat, high-value crops, and livestock sectors
  • Strengthen agricultural value chains so farmers can increase production, connect with agribusinesses, and subsequently market their products
• Post-harvest storage capacity
  • Increase the volume of products available for off-season sales and consumption by improving post-harvest technologies through improved packaging, on-farm storage, and warehousing
• Women in agricultural value chains
  • Train women in production and post-harvest storage, packaging, and other methods, as well as marketing techniques to sell products outside the home
  • Increase women’s awareness of diversified diets and balanced nutrition
• Enabling policy and regulatory environment
  • Assist the Afghan government to draft modern and enforceable agricultural policies and regulations
  • Undertake agricultural constraints analyses on extension services, irrigation systems, quality and availability of seeds and planting materials, post-harvest handling and storage, opportunities for women, cooperatives and associations, and fertilizer and crop protection products to inform MAIL’s policy development processes
• Improve public and private sector collaboration
  • Facilitate increased coordination between the private sector, civil society, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), and Provincial Directorates of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock
  • Support high-value crops, wheat and livestock agribusinesses, along with Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) and producer organizations to apply new financial management systems, administrative processes, and/or marketing strategies

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Benefitted 16,899 farming households with agriculture and alternative development interventions, and increased their average income by a minimum of 66.7%
• Increased sales of farmers and agri-businesses by $75 million from target commodities
• Increased the productivity of 4,516 wheat farmers by a minimum of 20% and 2,652 horticultural crop farmers by a minimum of 35%
• Operationalized 59 Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) in the South. These VFUs have vaccinated 1 million animals and medicated 763,581 animals, dewormed 26,886 head of livestock ,and led extension training for 2,850 livestock farmers
• Provided technical assistance to MAIL, resulting in the development and implementation of the following:
  • National Irrigation Policy
  • Plant Variety Protection Law
  • National Livestock Development Strategy/Plan