Monthly Report: Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North, East and West (IDEA-NEW)

The program's mission is to support agribusinesses at different points of each value chain to improve their market access, increase processing capacity and catalyze investments into Afghanistan's agricultural sector. IDEA-NEW continued project activities during the month of October, signing grant agreements with five input suppliers and three food processors. The program also partnered with the Green Afghanistan Agriculture and Livestock Organization (GAALO) to provide pesticide safety and handling training to IDEA-NEW selected ag-input dealers from Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, Nangarhar and Kunar. The training aimed to improve the knowledge of these dealers in safe pesticide usage, environmental risk mitigation methods and hazard-free pesticide handling storage. The training sessions were conducted in both Kabul and Jalalabad, with a total of 31 representatives from three input suppliers participating in the training. The classroom training session included presentations and group discussions on pest and disease problems, integrated pest management (IPM) and disease control methods, pesticide labels and application methods, and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) pesticide regulations. Practical training sessions were also conducted at the Badam Bagh Fairground in Kabul and the Nangarhar DAIL Shesham Bagh research farm. IDEA-NEW also signed a fixed obligation grant (FOG) agreement with the Reconstruction and Social Services for Afghanistan Organization (RSSAO) for "Marketing and Basic Business Accounting for Agribusinesses" in central and eastern Afghanistan. The target beneficiaries for the training include the staff of sixty commercial input suppliers, processors and traders from IDEA-NEW targeted provinces. RSSAO submitted training materials for review by IDEA-NEW, including curricula and presentations for the Accounting and Marketing trainings. The program's activities are focused on strengthening agricultural input suppliers, supporting food processors, and facilitating market entry for regional and international agribusiness retailers. IDEA-NEW's process for selecting input suppliers and food processors for matching and promotional grant activities involves issuing a notice inviting prospective grantees to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs). A deadline for the submission of EOIs is announced, and once received, EOIs are reviewed and selected grantees are awarded matching and promotional grants. The program's crosscutting themes include improving the business management, administration and marketing capacities of input suppliers, and reducing the environmental risks of agricultural pesticide use. IDEA-NEW's activities are aimed at contributing to the U.S. Government's stabilization and counter narcotics policy goals, and promoting long-term agricultural development and alternative livelihoods for farmers in Afghanistan. IDEA-NEW's program challenges and concerns include addressing the technical needs of input suppliers, improving the business management and administration capacities of input suppliers, and reducing the environmental risks of agricultural pesticide use. The program's performance indicators include the number of input suppliers and food processors trained, the number of grant agreements signed, and the number of beneficiaries reached through the program's activities. The program's geographic focus is on northern, eastern and western Afghanistan, with a focus on the provinces of Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, Nangarhar and Kunar. The program's timeframes are from March 2009 to the present, with a focus on the month of October 2014. The program's recommendations include continuing to support agribusinesses at different points of each value chain, improving the business management and administration capacities of input suppliers, and reducing the environmental risks of agricultural pesticide use.