Agriculture

Our Work

Agriculture provides a source of income and stability to countless Afghan families. USAID partners to strengthen private sector-driven, export-led economic growth and is expanding the reach of Afghan agricultural goods to bolster job creation, build Afghan brand recognition around the world, and boost Afghan families’ incomes. Some 4.4 million Afghans have benefitted from USAID’s agricultural work since 2002.

Major Highlight

Since 2006, USAID has facilitated more than $1.4 billion in increased sales of agricultural products in Afghanistan. USAID-supported agribusinesses exported $532 million of this total to international markets, bringing Afghan cashmere, fruits, and nuts to global buyers.

USAID Provides Credit to Small Commercial Farmers and Agribusinesses

USAID established a $100 million Agricultural Development Fund in 2010 to provide credit to small commercial farmers and agribusinesses. As of March 2021, the fund has disbursed $132.7 million in loans to more than 43,600 Afghan farmers who now have resources to purchase seeds, fertilizer, machinery, equipment, and food for their livestock.

USAID Helps Create Jobs for Workers in the Agricultural Sector

USAID has helped families grow cash crops and has built sustainable value chains and established competitive produce markets. Since 2006, this assistance has helped create 657,000 full time jobs, which has increased incomes for Afghan farming families.

USAID Helps Increase Production of High-Value Crops

USAID’s Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Program distributed nearly three million saplings and grape cuttings to some 20,000 farmers and established or improved more than 6,200 hectares of farmland in 15 provinces.