OVERVIEW

The Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Program (CHAMP) works to strengthen the capacity of Afghan packaging manufacturers, improve the skills of exporters in business administration and finance, establish an Agricultural Export Knowledge Management Unit that will disseminate reliable data on agricultural exports, promote investment in cold storage and pack house facilities, expand quality standards certification, and support freight and logistics facilitation to promote agricultural trade. These efforts will stimulate the growth of Afghan exports to regional wholesale markets and supermarkets by up to $30 million annually. CHAMP has trade offices in New Delhi, India, Dubai, UAE; and Almaty, Kazakhstan to boost Afghan agricultural exports in major regional markets.

ACTIVITIES

• Improve pre- and post-harvest methods for fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and vegetables to meet market requirements
• Link farmers with traders and traders with domestic and international markets and facilitate the export of selected fresh and dried fruits and nuts to international markets
• Build the capacity of agribusinesses to comply with international market requirements
• Support trade offices in Dubai, New Delhi, and Almaty to facilitate exports of agricultural products from Afghanistan
• Establish community-based Farmer Field Schools
• Train farmers on improved planting, fertilization, irrigation, and disease and pest control techniques
• Support traders to adopt global packing standards to reduce damage to fruit during shipments
• Assist Afghan exporters to participate in regional and international exhibitions to open new markets for Afghan produce
• Mainstream new agricultural practices, such as trellising, pruning ladders, collection baskets, sulfur drying of apricots, and growing market-driven produce
• Provide matching grants to private sector firms to improve existing packing houses, packaging manufacturers, and cold storage facilities

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Facilitated exports for 92,000 metric tons of fresh and dried fruits and nuts estimated at $125 million since 2010
• Established commercial orchards and exported high-quality produce that benefited 38,400 households
• Created more than 8,850 full-time jobs
• Supported 19,500 farmers to plant nearly 2.9 million fruit saplings, pomegranates, and grapes-rooted cuttings and converted 6,170 hectares of land previously for cereal crops to fruit orchards and vineyards
• Nearly 2,900 farmers increased yields more than 100 percent after trellising 600-hectares of existing vineyards in Kabul, Parwan, Logar, Ghazni, Zabul, Helmand, and Kapisa Provinces
• In partnership with farmers, established more than 230 improved raisin-drying facilities and cold rooms for apples