OVERVIEW

Promoting Value Chains–West (VC–W) strengthens the capabilities of micro, small, and medium-sized private enterprises to effectively link Afghan farmers to domestic and international markets. The project improves the quality of production, marketing, and after-sales service of wheat, high-value crops, and livestock in Badghis, Farah, Herat, and Nimroz Provinces. VC–W also trains staff at the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (P/DAIL) on sustainable value chain development and management.

ACTIVITIES

• Establish close partnerships with the private sector, the government, and non-governmental organizations through public-private partnerships
• Facilitate and stimulate agribusiness development for local entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, through a project innovation fund
• Train farmers and businesses on post-harvest, processing, and marketing to add value to agricultural produces
• Build a network and create a directory of input suppliers and service providers linked with the Chambers of Commerce in target provinces
• Link farmers with traders, and traders with domestic and international markets
• Build the capacity of agribusinesses to comply with international market requirements

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Three hundred farmers and others applied improved technologies or management practices
• Provided technical assistance to 20 private enterprises to improve business performance
• Trained more than 1,000 individuals on short-term agricultural sector productivity or food security
• Thirty-four agribusinesses applied new technologies or improved management practices
• As part of drought emergency response, supported almost 16,000 agricultural households with concentrated animal feeds
• As part of drought emergency response, supplied some 11,000 agricultural households with certified wheat seeds and fertilizer
• Trained nearly 15,900 out of 20,000 farmers on livestock and 10,560 received training in agriculture in targeted provinces and districts