OVERVIEW

The Regional Agricultural Development Program-East (RADP-East) promotes sustainable agriculture-led economic growth and contributes to the development of a vibrant and prosperous agriculture sector in Ghazni, Kabul, Kapisa, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Parwan, and Wardak Provinces in eastern Afghanistan. The program fosters the expansion of sustainable agriculture-led economic growth to enhance development of a vibrant and prosperous agriculture sector.

ACTIVITIES

• Develop and implement a grant-based process to support farmers’ production of targeted crops and products
• Link producers, processors, traders, exporters, and farmers and assist them to produce sales agreements and other contractual instruments during business-to-business and business-to-farmer events and meetings for a higher degree of transaction security and transparency for all parties
• Train the parties involved in bringing goods to market in marketing, accounting and financial management, food safety, hygiene, product quality, product handling and conservation, and agro-chemical use
• Organize and facilitate access to finance events and workshops for producers, processors, traders, exporters, farmers and financial institutions to increase the knowledge of potential borrowers, especially women, about how to apply for credit
• Train financial institutions and promote access to finance for agricultural lending

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Exported about $ 2.1 million of processed and fresh apricots
• Almost $15.8 million earned in local and export sales of targeted commodities
• Over 13,300 households benefited from agriculture and alternative development interventions
• Trained more than 6,500 individuals on food security or agriculture sector productivity
• Over 6,800 farmers applied new technologies or management practices
• Nearly 90 for-profit private enterprises, producers, organizations, water users associations, women's groups, trade and business associations, and community-based organizations applied improved organization-level technologies or management practices
• Linked nearly 700 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including small holder farmers, to larger-scale firms in the value chain
• Created over 230 agro-enterprises and new businesses
• Five percent of program beneficiaries applied for financial products or services
• Increased access to assets, credit, income, or employment for 23 percent of females working in agriculture in the targeted provinces
• Created over 1,600 full-time jobs