KABUL, AFGHANISTAN- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded the Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) in Afghanistan to promote agriculture development to Chemonics to work in the northern and western parts of Afghanistan.

 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded the Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) in Afghanistan to promote agriculture development to Chemonics to work in the northern and western parts of Afghanistan. 

 

The program will assist in the development of a thriving rural economy by providing over 280,000 people with non-farm employment opportunities. It will enhance the development of sustainable large-scale agro-industries, establish and strengthen producer and water users associations with over 150,000 members, and increase the market value of the agriculture sector by at least $670 million.

 

An estimated 80% of the Afghan population is dependent on agriculture for a large portion of its annual income. The development of a thriving sustainable rural economy is critical for long term economic growth and security in Afghanistan. The Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program is a follow-on program to the widely successful USAID Rebuilding Agriculture Markets Program (RAMP).  The goal of ASAP is to develop a broad-based market-led agriculture sector capable of responding to market forces that provide new economic opportunities for rural Afghans.

 

This program will continue to further develop the country’s potential for exports begun under RAMP in commodities such as dried fruit and nuts, grapes, and other orchard crops, as well as identify domestic “market centers” within selected provinces.  By promoting the development of market centers and commodity groups, ASAP will facilitate the development of effective market chains for domestic consumption of locally produced goods and provide greater access to export markets. 

 

An estimated investment of $61 million will be distributed over a forty month period for the Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP).

 

This is another project supported by the American people to assist the Government of Afghanistan in developing the agriculture sector and a rural economy that meets the needs of the Afghan people.