USAID, through its Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture Plus (AVIPA Plus) program, has delivered the first batch of 4,000 irrigation pumps to Marja District in Hilmand Province. The pumps will benefit rural farm families by bringing much-needed water to fields that will soon see a distribution of red onion, spinach, turnip, radish, carrot, cauliflower, and fertilizers.
The AVIPA Plus pumps, maintenance supplies, and tubes are the first agricultural aid inputs to be taken to Marja District, which continues to be plagued by insurgent-initiated violence. The voucher pumps, combined with the vegetable seed and fertilizer, will help wean the population off the production of poppy, a crop that helps fund the insurgency.
Over the coming months, the delivery of AVIPA Plus agricultural inputs and small grants, as well as the initiation of agricultural training and quick impact cash for work programs, will gradually help to turn the tide in Marja.