Regional Agricultural Development Program-South January – March 2014 Quarterly Report

To achieve this goal, RADP-S focuses on improving the productivity and profitability of the wheat, high value crops, and livestock value chains, while addressing policy, legal, and regulatory constraints affecting value chain development. This agricultural development program supports the consolidation of licit economies to fuel sustainable long-term economic growth, including providing alternatives to poppy cultivation. RADP-S implementation approach dovetails with Afghan and U.S. government strategies in its focus on advancing food security, regenerating agribusiness, and increasing agriculture sector jobs and incomes. The program aims to strengthen the capacity of producers, associations, traders, and agribusinesses to respond to market demands; facilitate lasting market linkages between value chain actors; and support an enabling environment that allows the private sector to thrive. RADP-S places the Afghan private sector at the forefront of implementation and addresses key crosscutting issues of women's empowerment, agribusiness value chain facilitation, and alternative development in all facets of the program. In Quarter II, RADP-S positioned itself to aggressively implement program activities upon execution of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) and RADP-S. Key implementing partners, including Afghan Development Association (ADA), Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA), and the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan (DCA), received fully-executed subcontracts, established provincial offices, and hired key staff. RADP-S outreach and communications subcontractor, Equal Access (EA), also received a fully-executed subcontract and hired two Communications Managers who are now embedded in RADP-S Kabul and Kandahar offices. To facilitate efficient and compliant start-up operations of the Key Implementing Partners (KIPs), RADP-S hosted administrative and technical orientation workshops to provide them with crucial support as they mobilize key staff and draft their first year work plans. The first administrative workshop took place in Kabul on February 25 and built KIP capacity in recruitment and hiring policies, procedures, and best practices. The technical orientation took place on February 27 in the classroom of the AMTEX Village Technical Training Facility in Kandahar and was attended by 73 program staff from ADA, CHA, DCA, Equal Access, and RADP-S. The all-day event provided KIP provincial leadership with initial direction for program implementation. RADP-S has established a strong foundation for program implementation, with key partners in place and a clear understanding of program objectives and expectations. The program is well-positioned to make significant progress in the coming quarters, with a focus on improving the productivity and profitability of the wheat, high value crops, and livestock value chains, while addressing policy, legal, and regulatory constraints affecting value chain development.