OVERVIEW

Afghanistan Value Chains – High Value Crops (AVC-HVC) is a market-oriented project that operates throughout the country, with regional offices in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. AVC-HVC promotes sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, in line with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock's National Comprehensive Agricultural Development Priority Program. Afghanistan’s high value crops sector contributes significantly to the country’s economic growth and employment.

Building on past U.S. Government investments in agriculture, AVC-HVC represents USAID’s shift towards private-sector and agriculture-led economic growth by building the capacity of individual high value crop-related enterprises to be profitable and competitive. The activity provides the enterprises with business development services and advice, driving profits and employment in a sector that supports approximately 80 percent of the Afghan population.

ACTIVITIES

• Facilitate trade promotion activities for firms with key positions in the regional economy (“anchor firms”), by linking them with domestic and international markets, providing technical advice, and co-financing for processing machinery to help them comply with international market requirements.
• Strengthen HVC value chains support-service providers through consultation services to firms and other important actors to improve their management and production practices, how to apply for credit, and reduce shipping and transport costs.
• Train, advise, and arrange business-to-business meetings to help businesses improve their ability to operate, create jobs, and generate profit.
• Provide marketing and promotional support, training, production, investment and post-harvest loss reduction advice, and tools to input suppliers to improve the quality and quantity of produce available to businesses.
• Assist Afghan exporters to participate in international and domestic trade shows by co-financing participation and exhibition preparedness costs.
• Provide co-finance grants to private-sector firms to improve existing production and marketing systems.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Assisted firms to export $4.6 million agriculture commodities
• Supported firms accessed $1.4 million value of loans