August 2016—Twenty-year-old Shakila* has never enjoyed the casual warmth and style of a cashmere sweater. “Keeping goats and sheep for more than a decade, I honestly didn’t recognize its value,” she said in northern Jowzjan province recently.

Cashmere is a highly sought after commodity across the world—and commands a handsome sum. But for Shakila, she only knew what her family had been doing for years—caring for and shearing their livestock. Shakila, like many Afghan herders, had never been taught the more advanced techniques of animal husbandry, which improve the quality and quantity of the cashmere produced. Without this knowledge, she was losing much of the best cashmere before ever reaching a trader.

In April, Shakila was one of 3,000 herders (2,600 male and 400 female) in three northern provinces who learned improved harvesting and collection methods through USAID’s Regional Agricultural Development Program-North (RADP-North).

Recognizing the value of her training, Shakila immediately shared her newfound skills with other female herders in nearby villages. She also began to forge connections with new buyers interested in the higher quality product.

Shakila will not forget her new skills any time soon. “I wouldn’t be able to support my family if I had not attended cashmere harvesting training.”

USAID’s RADP–North program provides food and economic security for rural Afghans in six northern provinces by strengthening farmers’ skills and techniques to improve the production of wheat, high-value crops and livestock. The program also engages the private sector to advocate for national policy reforms to promote growth in the agricultural sector. The five-year program, which began in May 2014, has benefited 38,000 households with agriculture and alternative development interventions and has trained 49,000 people in agricultural productivity or food security. In addition, more than 37,000 hectares of farmland are being cultivated under improved technologies or management practices.

*Many Afghans use only one name.

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