IR RDAwa arded$ $65MillionA Agricult tural De evelop pmentP Project tinAfg ghanist tansK Kandah har an ndHelm mandP

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FOR RIMMEDIATERELEASE NOVEMBER22,2011 CONTACT:MELISSAPRICE 571 13661596 PRE ESS@IRDDC.ORG NGTON, VA Internationa Relief and Developmen (IRD), a ma al nt ajor ARLIN implem menter of U.S. foreign assi stance and a l leader in the i international stabilization and dev velopment co ommunity, ha been award a $65 mill as ded lion contract b the U.S. by Agency for Internat y tional Develop pment (USAI to acceler agricultur ID) rate ral develop pment in Afg ghanistans Ka andahar and H Helmand prov vinces. The S Southern Region Agricultur Developm nal ral ment (S-RAD) program is a one-year pro ) oject whose goals are to increase long-term ag a e gricultural job and incom and increa the bs mes ase confide ence of Afgha in their go ans overnment, es specially the Ministry of A Agriculture, Irrigati ion, and Lives stock. Afgha anistans long g-term stabilit and develo ty opment rest on a successful n l agricul ltural sector th provides f the needs of the Afghan people and is hat for n integra into regio and glob al markets, s John Hay ated onal said ydu, IRDs C Chief of Party for S-RAD. S f S-RAD will im mprove the li ives of thousa ands of people, help enable Afghanistan governmen to prepare f a new chap in the co s nt for apter ountrys history and serve as a model for other nations seeking to in y, s s ncrease socia stability al through long-term agricultural de h a evelopment. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker gave the keyn address t launch the S-RAD A R note to program in Lashkar Gah, Afghan m nistan. Crocke was joined by Helmand Provincial er d d Govern Mohamm Gulab Ma nor mad angal and repr resentatives f from the Direc ctorate of Agricu ulture, Irrigation and Livest tock, and loca agricultura cooperative al al es. Throug tightly inte gh egrated cash f work, agri for icultural vouc chers, training and g capacit building, an in-kind gr ty nd rant programs S-RAD will increase incomes for at s, l least 25 5,000 farm fa amilies, create nearly 7,000 long-term jo and millio of shorte 0 obs ons term ag gricultural job and measu bs, urably increas confidence in governme among se e ent local re esidents. In ad ddition to sho ort-term activities to rehabilitate irrigati systems ion and ov vercome other obstacles to long-term eff r ficiency and i increased outp S-RAD put, will bu enduring linkages betw uild ween farmers and the priva sector. Bu ate usiness develop pment service and in-kind grants will r es d revitalize farm cooperati mer ives and associa ations, linking them to up g pstream farm input supply firms and to m y o downstream trade processor wholesaler and retailer ers, rs, rs, rs. --more-INTERNAT TIONALRELIEF&D DEVELOPMENT |1 1621NORTHKENT STREET,4THFLOOR|ARLINGTON, V VA22209 T 703.248 8.0161 |F 703.24 48.0194 |WWW.IR RD.ORG

S-RAD will operate in key terra districts i D e ain identified by the Afghan g government and sec curity forces to address con t nstraints alon six crop an livestock v ng nd value chains: fruits and nuts, vege a etables, legum forage, li mes, ivestock, and cereals. Exte ensive market analysis by IRD and othe has identif these valu chains as h t I ers fied ue having the greates potential to increase live st elihoods and i incomes as w as to achie the well eve region short-term stabilization and longer te developm objective The s erm ment es. project will address specific weak t knesses in ea value-chai related to f ach in farming practic transporta ces, ation costs and infrastructu packaging and process d ure, g sing practic and marke related fact ces, et tors. Afghan nistans Minis of Agricu stry ulture, Irrigat tion, and Live estock staff w be placed will at the core of all pro c oject activities given subst s, tantial decisio on-making au uthority, and benefit from capacit strengtheni activities. Ministry directorates and extension t ty ing . d agents have broad knowledge of farmer needs and prioritie understand where k s es, d resourc should be directed, and know how t do so effici ces d to iently and effe fectively. This A Afghan first design will e ensure that the project is un e nderstood by local commu unities as gov vernment own and imple ned emented. S-RAD which incorporates lesso from IRD successful AVIPA and AVIPA D, ons Ds l Plus ag gricultural pro ojects in Afgh hanistan, is on of three ma developm and ne ajor ment capacit building pr ty rojects IRD im mplements in the country. All projects are directed n , at impr roving govern nance, increas sing incomes, and facilitat ting economic and social c develop pment. Visit www.ird.org for more infor w f rmation on IR and visit t IRD Voic blog to RD, the ces read fir rst-hand acco ounts from IRD staff in the field. You ca also stay u D e an up-to-date on IRDs latest news by following u on Faceboo Twitter (@ y us ok, @ird_voices), Flickr, or , YouTu ube.
IRD is a nonprofit, non ngovernmental organization r l responsible for implementing relief, r the stabiliza ation, and deve elopment progr rams worldwide IRDs missio is to reduce t suffering e. on of the worlds most vulnerable group and provide the tools and re w ps esources neede to increase ed their sel lf-sufficiency. Specializing in meeting the ne S eeds of commun nities emerging from conflict g or natur disaster, IR partners wit donors, local organizations and many oth to deliver ral RD th l s, hers sustaina services in agriculture, g able n governance, hea alth, and infras structure. For m more informa ation, visit IRD. .org. ###

INTERNAT TIONALRELIEF&D DEVELOPMENT |1 1621NORTHKENT STREET,4THFLOOR R|ARLINGTON, V VA22209 T 703.248 8.0161 |F 703.248.0194 |WWW.IR RD.ORG