Announcement

Strong Support and High Returns Provide Incentives to Grow Licit Crops

Jalalabad, Afghanistan  | Sunday, February 15, 2009

Photo: USAID/ADP/E

Cauliflower produced and sold under the brand Pride of the Eastern Region.

In 2007, Nangarhar Province was declared poppy-free for the first time in recent history.  Farmers in Nangarhar and its neighboring provinces of Kunar, Laghman, and Nuristan now plant licit crops, such as fresh vegetables and fruits.  However, they struggle to find markets for their produce and to ensure that their land will produce enough crops to both sell and feed their families.

To support farmers’ efforts to grow legal crops, USAID is helping to increase the production, value, and sales of produce.  Reestablishment of Afghanistan's fruit and nut orchards, destroyed by over 30 years of conflict, is a key priority.  In late January 2009 alone, USAID supplied more than 257,000 almond, apricot, pomegranate, apple, and orange saplings to 1,395 farmers.  During the same two-week period, the women-owned Sammarkhil Fruits Nursery sold 30,000 pomegranate saplings, providing women with an income while increasing the country’s capacity to produce a fruit valued for its demand abroad. 

Branding produce while ensuring that each vegetable meets high quality standards is another way that USAID increases the value of and demand for eastern Afghanistan’s crops.  Under the brand Pride of the Eastern Region, which was launched in 2006, farmers sold over 11,000 kg of mixed winter produce in just two weeks, earning over $20,730.  These programs build the capacity of farmers to deliver high-quality fruits and vegetables to their customers and will continue to improve harvests and sales in years to come.

USAID/Afghanistan Bi-weekly Highlights Double Issue: 1/16/2009-2/15/2009 2/15/2009