Alternative Development

FY02-FY06 AL Spending: $315 M
FY07 AL Budget: $229 M
(incl. supplemental request)

Accomplishments

Cash for Work 

• Through the expansion of legal activities, the ALP created over 7,900 full-time jobs
• Over $25 million in wages to more than 250,000 farmers have injected significant cash into a struggling rural economy and provided a viable alternative to poppy cultivation
• Over 5,000 km of irrigation canals and underground water channels (karez) cleaned and restored
• Over 230,000 hectares of land improved through irrigation
• 580+ km of rural roads built or repaired
• Countless flood protection walls built to protect farmers’ lands from yearly floods and protect vital roads from washing-out

Seed Distribution Programs

• 550,000 farmers across all 34 Provinces received 40,000 metric tons of fertilizer and 14,000 metric tons of wheat seed
• Over 375,000 farmers in the east, south and north have received vegetable seeds and fertilizer to date 
• Over $17 million generated in sales from the vegetable seed program

Agribusiness Development & Assistance Provided to Farmers

• Helping farmers produce more and to increase revenue from their licit crops.
• Helped farmers plant 1,500 hectares of orchards in the east to revitalize that once booming sector of the economy (Example: apricot, apple, peach, plum, persimmon and almond)
• 475,000 saplings distributed to 2,156 farmers
• 2,800 ha of fruit orchards rehabilitated
• Assisted over 4,200 farmers in improved fruit production, sorting, packaging and marketing
• Raisin exports to Ukraine
• 2 years, $1.4, 1300MT of Kandahari red Raisins (Dec 06)

Unions and Associations

• Fresh Fruit Exporters Union of Kandahar
• Dried Fruits Exporters Association

Fresh Fruit Exports to Dubai

• Laghman Province exporter sent 1 MT sample, leading to 45 MT order (Dec 06)
• Includes apples, oranges, pomegranates, limes and tomatoes
• Packed by women’s group in Nangarhar Province