Robert Sauers/USAID
USAID Mission Director Dr. S. Ken Yamashita delivers remarks to the audience at the Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm in Kabul.
USAID officially transferred oversight of an innovative agricultural education site in Kabul to Afghan officials during a ceremony today. Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm, featuring laser-leveled land and modern hygienic farming systems, is intended to invigorate Afghanistan’s agricultural sector.
“Today marks a major milestone in our joint work to achieve growth in the agriculture sector and provide new economic opportunities for Afghans,” USAID Mission Director Ken Yamashita said.
The transfer also marked the closure of USAID’s Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP), a 5-year USAID project to revitalize and improve the global competitiveness of Afghanistan’s agriculture sector in all 34 provinces. The project helped facilitate more than $57 million in sales and exports of Afghanistan’s agricultural products, including pomegranates and cashmere, to neighboring countries like Pakistan as well as to markets as far away as the United Kingdom.
As a part of ASAP project activities, the farm provided Afghan farmers with the knowledge to improve
Robert Sauers/USAID
USAID Mission Director Dr. S. Ken Yamashita learns about enhanced growing methods in an underground greenhouse at Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm in Kabul.
agricultural practices by sharing best practices that demonstrated the use of new technologies including water-saving techniques such as laser-land leveling, plastic mulch usage, and drip-and-siphon irrigation, which conserve water while increasing production. The farm also served as the site of Kabul International AgFairs, which have generated millions of dollars in business deals and have globally raised the profile of Afghanistan’s agricultural sector.
“USAID has helped Afghan agribusinesses develop new products and services, and expand domestic and global markets that will deliver greater impact in the years to come. Afghanistan and USAID can take pride in such partnership and true achievement," said Minister of Agriculture H.E. Mohammad Asif Rahimi.
From training farmers and herders in the field to working with international buyers and foreign governments to gain access to lucrative markets, USAID is strengthening Afghanistan’s agricultural sector and facilitating sales of Afghan agricultural products in the local market and supporting the export of fresh and dried fruit, nuts, and cashmere to countries such as India, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
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2011.10.25 Press Release Badam Bagh Transfer and ASAP Closeout English
2011.10.25 Press Release Badam Bagh Transfer and ASAP Closeout Dari
2011.10.25 Press Release Badam Bagh Transfer and ASAP Closeout Pashto