Kandahar, Afghanistan, August 17, 2016 – A new agriculture demonstration farm and research facility will be set up at the Afghanistan National Agriculture Science and Technology University (ANASTU) in Kandahar with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The demonstration farm will be used as a training facility for university students and private sector farmers to learn improved cultivation practices for wheat, orchards, vegetables, and post-harvest management. The goal is to make ANASTU a hub for technology dissemination and best practices in agriculture, promoting quality agricultural education that aims to grow and stimulate the private sector.

“Universities have always been at the center stage of societal transformations. Agriculture accounts for a quarter of Afghanistan's Gross Domestic Product, with over 50% of the population tied to the sector,” said USAID’s Acting Mission Director Tamra Halmrast-Sanchez. “Linkages between research, education, extension, and the private sector are the central to a dynamic and strong agricultural sector, and the future of a thriving national economy,” she added.

Over the next two years, over 15,000 farmers and private sector partners will be trained at the center. Additionally, to further advance the university’s reach, USAID will support expanding ongoing agricultural radio programming so that it becomes university-centered.

USAID has supported the Regional Agricultural Development Program-South (RADP-S) in southern Afghanistan since 2013. The $125 million RADP-S promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth for rural Afghans in Kandahar, Helmond, Zabul, and Uruzgan provinces.

With almost $17 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.  For more information about USAID's programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/afghanistan.