- Fill the gaps in Afghanistan's food supply chain from field to table.
- Increase agricultural value-adding in Afghanistan.
- Reduce the need for import of food.
- Link farmers to markets, and increase their incomes.
Over the long term, the project aims to help rebuild an Afghan economy that is largely dependent on agriculture. By focusing on rebuilding Afghanistan's legitimate, high-value agriculture sector, the program promotes economic opportunity for Afghan families and helps establish the foundation for sustainable growth and stability.
AADP's central activity is awarding grants to entrepreneurs investing in agricultural processing and other enterprises that will strengthen commercial agricultural production. AADP also includes an Agricultural Market Assessment initiative and technical assistance and training.
Value Chain and Marketing Development - AADP aims to create healthy value chains where all companies, collaborators, and farmers are able work together to satisfy market demands for agricultural commodities.
Agricultural Market Assessments help to identify constraints within these value chains. These assessments of agriculture production conditions and the market infrastructure will initially be used to narrow the focus for Enterprise Development Grants, training and technical assistance under the current project. But the assessments will also be useful for future agricultural development projects. The assessments cover provincial agricultural production and markets and agricultural processors and firms that add value. A key focus is to identify gender roles in production, processing and marketing activities to ensure involvement and benefit of both men and women.
Competitiveness of High Value Agriculture - AADP's enterprise-based approach aims to expand cash markets for Afghan farmers and communities by increasing high-value agriculture production, value-added food processing and marketing of high-value agriculture products such as fruits, vegetables and dairy and poultry products. In order to promote the security of Afghanistan, it is critical to develop high-value agriculture that is competitive with illicit poppy production.
AADP prioritizes Enterprise Development Grants that strengthen Afghanistan's high-value agriculture and develops Enterprise Project Designs for entrepreneurs and businessmen willing to invest in high-value agriculture.
Enterprise Development Grants - Over the two-year duration of the project, AADP plans to disburse $3 million in grants to entrepreneurs. While preference is given to agro-processing or other value-adding enterprises, grants are also made to community groups or farmers for high-value agricultural production and post-harvest handling and marketing activities.
AADP strives to make grants on at least a one-to-one match basis. All grants must adhere to the Program's Grants Criteria and be approved by AADP's Grants Review Committee.
Major Accomplishments
- Created more than 5,000 new jobs (70% of which were for women).
- Strengthened 494 agricultural enterprises through grant awards (total value of $2,721,980) linking beneficiaries to new and existing markets, leading to improved health, education and general welfare for their families.
- Implimented groundbreaking livestock projects that demonstrate afghanistan's potential to compete with and substitute imports from abroad.
- Developed project designs for apple cold storage, fruit and vegetable canning and packaging plants, a flour mill, a biscuit factory and a fruit juice production plant.
- Conducted market assessment reviews of the sugar cane, carpet, hide and wool industries.
- Designed model for low-tech potato storage units that will allow farmers to postpone sales, take advantage of up to a 50% price increase when demand is high and supply is low and will also reduce post harvest losses. The storage units are being constructed for 30 farmers in Bamyan Province.
Related Links
CNFA Grants Allow Women to Increase Profits and Local Employment
