RADP-N Workplan

Funded by the Office of Agriculture, USAID, RADP-N will work in a minimum of 26 districts across six provinces to train and provide technical assistance to farmers and agribusinesses. The program will focus on three value chains: wheat, high-value crops, and livestock, with a particular emphasis on increasing the number of women beneficiaries and introducing alternative development techniques. RADP-N will employ an innovative implementation approach, Production and Commerce Clusters (PCCs), to solidify and maximize effective synergies among and within economic corridors, value chains, provinces, and districts. This approach will improve the productivity and profitability of farmers and agribusinesses in the target sectors. The program will also review the legal and regulatory framework and domestic and foreign trade policies to identify areas of improvement to support a receptive and responsive enabling environment for business in Northern Afghanistan. The RADP-N team will focus on four key areas during the five-month start-up period: operational start-up, participatory engagement with stakeholders, design of high-impact short-term activities, and identification and vetting of potential agribusiness and farmers organization partners. The program will also build on previous investments in the region, including a 2012 study that explored value chain linkages in the Northern Corridor of Afghanistan. The RADP-N PCC approach addresses the need for a holistic market systems approach by working with and connecting all actors within the value chain, including farmers, suppliers, businesses, and associations. This approach will promote greater productivity and profitability by creating and exploiting synergies among and within economic corridors, value chains, provinces, and districts. The program will focus on geographical areas with the greatest potential for development impact and feasibility, using criteria such as number of farmers, food-insecure households, prospective female beneficiaries, and potential to reduce or prevent poppy production. In June and July, the RADP-N leadership team undertook several significant activities to refine the program design, including participatory engagement with stakeholders and identification of potential agribusiness and farmers organization partners. The team also conducted a review of the legal and regulatory framework and domestic and foreign trade policies to identify areas of improvement to support a receptive and responsive enabling environment for business in Northern Afghanistan. The RADP-N team will work closely with government, non-governmental, and international partners to achieve the program's objectives. The program will also focus on increasing the number of women beneficiaries and introducing alternative development techniques to improve the productivity and profitability of farmers and agribusinesses in the target sectors. By building on previous investments and employing a holistic market systems approach, RADP-N aims to improve food and economic security for rural Afghans and promote sustainable economic growth in Northern Afghanistan. The program will be implemented in a minimum of 26 districts across six provinces, with a focus on geographical areas with the greatest potential for development impact and feasibility. The RADP-N team will work closely with government, non-governmental, and international partners to achieve the program's objectives and improve the productivity and profitability of farmers and agribusinesses in the target sectors. By promoting sustainable economic growth and improving food and economic security for rural Afghans, RADP-N aims to contribute to the long-term stability and prosperity of Northern Afghanistan.