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Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer
holds a teleconference with USDA employees stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan, from
the Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC. (09/12/08) |
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.
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More about Provincial Reconstruction Teams
(PRTs) in Afghanistan
U.S. Working To Rebuild Afghanistan's
Agriculture
— Detail
Assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan for USDA Employees
—
Detail
Assignments in Iraq or Afghanistan for qualified
individuals outside USDA
—
Jim Green, Stationed in Afghanistan, Sends
Letter to NRCS Family (04/16/08)
—
Latest news about the PRTs in
Afghanistan
(U.S. Embassy–Kabul Web site)
- News About
Afghan Agricultural Reconstruction
NRCS Maryland Employee Minnick
Volunteers for Second Tour as an
Agricultural Advisor in Afghanistan
(01/31/07)
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Kapisa Crop Demonstration Project - Farmers planting soy beans (Parwan
PRT)
|
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)
— Since May
2003, 37 experts from USDA have served as
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)
Agricultural Advisors in Afghanistan. Advisors
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 Cooperative
State Research, Extension and Education Service.
These advisors 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
PRT advisors travel in the field as part of
military units of 50-100 personnel with 2-3
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
Advisors in Afghanistan
2003: Three USDA Agricultural Advisors
joined PRTs on six-month deployments
2004: 10 USDA Agricultural Advisors joined PRTs
on six-month deployments
2005: 10 Agricultural Advisors deployed to PRTs
(six-month deployments
Two USDA Technical Advisors are
still in country on long-term assignments
2006: Eight USDA Agricultural Advisors joined
PRTs on nine-month deployments
Two USDA Technical Advisors
were deployed in 2005
2007: Eight USDA Agricultural Advisors joined
PRTs on nine-month deployments
Two USDA Technical Advisors
were deployed in 2005
2008: 13 USDA Agricultural Advisors will join
PRTs on 13-month deployments
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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.
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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.
- Trade How-To's for U.S.
Exporters
Market Information (overview)
Country Commercial Guide for U.S.
Companies
Business Finance Resources in
Afghanistan
Active Tenders
Events
Useful Links
Register for
Afghanistan Reconstruction Alert (emails)
Afghanistan Investment Support Agency
Afghanistan Procurement Directory
Special
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction
Exports and Re-exports to Afghanistan (summary of U.S.
export controls on Afghanistan; U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of
Industry and Security)
U.S. Department of State: Afghanistan
Travel Information
Country Analysis
- Background on Foreign
Policy With Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan
Remarks, Fact Sheets and Press Releases
South and Central Asia
Updates (International Information Service)
Afghanistan Country Report on Human
Rights Practices (March 2008)
United
Nations News Focus: Afghanistan
Partners in Humanitarian
Assistance
Alternative Development and Agriculture
Weekly Reports
Economic
Growth
Humanitarian
Assistance
Afghanistan Now (magazine)
USAID Mission in Afghanistan
International Monetary Fund: Afghanistan
World Food Program (WFP)
Contact USDA About Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)
See Rebuilding Agriculture
and Food Security in Iraq
See the International Development Main Page