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USDA Activities in Afghanistan
 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing technical assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s agricultural sector. USDA works in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. military, and the Afghan Government, as well as other organizations.

U.S. Working To Rebuild Afghanistan's Agriculture
 — Fact Sheet: USDA at Work for Agriculture in Afghanistan (November 2010)
— Detail Assignments in Afghanistan for USDA Employees
— Detail Assignments in Afghanistan for qualified individuals outside USDA

News About Afghan Agricultural Reconstruction

Kapisa Crop Demonstration Project - Farmers planting soy beans (Parwan PRT)

Kapisa Crop Demonstration Project - Farmers planting soy beans (Parwan PRT)

Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) — Since May 2003, USDA has deployed 100 staff for medium- and long- term assignments in Afghanistan, including more than 60 individuals to serve as agricultural experts in Afghanistan. Experts have come from a variety of USDA agencies including the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. These experts help enable, support, and foster reconstruction of the agricultural sector, and help build the ability of the Afghan central government to support and provide services to the agricultural sector.

To effectively assist, train, and demonstrate techniques to Afghan farmers and agriculture officials, USDA experts travel in the field as part of PRT civilian-military units of 50-100 personnel with 2 to 3 civilian U.S. Government advisors. Their work has resulted in the installation of windmills in southern Afghanistan to pump water for irrigation and livestock; the training of Afghan veterinarians in detection and treatment of parasites; rehabilitation of a university laboratory for agricultural teaching; stabilization of eroded river banks and irrigation canals; development of post-harvest storage facilities; rehabilitation of degraded orchards; reforestation; and mentoring of provincial directors of agriculture to help them improve their services to farmers.

— Detail Assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan for USDA Employees
— Detail Assignments in Iraq or Afghanistan for qualified individuals outside USDA

History of USDA PRT Agricultural Experts in Afghanistan
2003: Three USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on six-month deployments
2004: 10 USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on six-month deployments
2005: 10 Agricultural Experts deployed to PRTs (six-month deployments
         Two USDA Technical Advisors were deployed in 2005
2006: Eight USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on nine-month deployments
         Two USDA Technical Advisors were deployed in 2006
2007: Eight USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on nine-month deployments
         Two USDA Technical Advisors were deployed in 2007
2008: 11 USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on 13-month deployments
         Two USDA Technical Advisors were deployed in 2008
2009: 13 USDA Agricultural Experts joined PRTs on 13-month deployments
         One USDA Technical Advisor was deployed in 2009
2010: 52 USDA Agricultural Experts deployed to Afghanistan on 12-month assignments
         12 Additional Technical Experts deployed on medium-term assignments
 

Scientist inspecting a chick
Dr. Mahmood Ramzan (FSIS) inspecting a chick in women’s project (Kandahar PRT)

Rebuilding Agricultural Markets and Conserving Biological Diversity — Under this USAID-funded program, USDA is providing technical assistance to USAID Afghanistan and the Government of Afghanistan in five critical areas: a) livestock health, b) sanitary-phytosanitary (SPS) issues, c) agricultural extension, d) conservation of biodiversity, and e) strengthening the Afghan Government’s capacity to manage and protect forests and rangelands, and watersheds. USDA provides assistance through the use of its technical specialists from various agencies within USDA as well as staff from the Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Other program activities include long-term advisors at Kabul University and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food, in-country technical assistance and training.

People tilling soil on a hillside
ACC workers in Qarga Dam Hills, Kabul area

Afghan Conservation Corps — In 2003, at the request of and with funding from the U.S. Department of State, USDA helped establish the Afghan Conservation Corps (ACC). The ACC’s aim is to be a massive, community-based employment program putting thousands of unemployed Afghans to work by growing and planting trees, fostering conservation of water, and controlling soil erosion. The ACC is a collaborative effort of the Afghan Government with operational and management support from the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) staff in Afghanistan. USDA has provided technical assistance to the ACC through a variety of training activities in areas of seed handling, nursery management, handling and planting of trees, soil and water conservation, and conservation education.

Technical specialists have been from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, agencies within USDA as well as from Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. USAID has also provided support for USDA’s work with the ACC.

Contact USDA About Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)

 

See Rebuilding Agriculture and Food Security in Iraq
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