Azizullah Karimi / IDEA-NEW

Husain Safi, Director of Nangarhar Agriculture and Livestock addressed the conference.

Nangarhar’s Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL), with support from USAID, held a quarterly conference for eight Afghan agriculture associations representing the poultry, beekeeping, fishery, fruit growers, nursery growers, seed producers and wholesalers, agriculture development and industrial sectors in the eastern region of Afghanistan.  The associations are delivering services such as technical assistance for management, marketing, and sales as well as helping to attract donor investment.  The conference helped to build on these successes by strengthening coordination among the associations and with DAIL.

Among the associations in attendance were Association Incubator, an umbrella organization created and supported by USAID’s Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North, East and West (IDEA-NEW) project in close coordination with Nangarhar’s DAIL.  Established two years ago, the Association Incubator encourages and supports the formation of new associations, and increases the capacity of existing associations through training, mentoring, and access to financial and material inputs.

“This conference is of great significance for us, because a large number of NGOs and donors working in the agriculture sector participated,” said Said Omar, Director of the Eastern Region Fruit Growers Association.  “We had an opportunity to tell them what we need, present our achievements, and discuss with them the challenges we still face.  It was also important for us to be able to meet with government officials from various departments in order to discuss our problems, particularly those we experience in exporting our products.”  Omar was one of 100 conference attendees.

The director of Nagarhar’s DAIL thanked USAID for its support to the agriculture sector calling it, “one of the most effective programs working in the region.”

During the next 12 months, USAID will help to fund Association Incubator and provide direct support to Afghan associations working within Association Incubator.  This will include funds, training and material inputs to directly support the fishery, beekeeping, poultry, and fruit growers sectors through their associations.

USAID is accelerating sustainable economic development in the eastern region by providing support through a wide variety of projects.  This broad approach is helping to create long-term and sustainable economic programs across many sectors.