Aleppo, Syria and Kabul, Afghanistan. 26 May 2003. In the early 1970s, there were 22 agricultural research stations in Afghanistan. Most of them have been abandoned, bombed, looted or confiscated by warlords. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is refurbishing 6 stations in 5 provinces with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The refurbished agricultural stations serve as launching points for hundreds of village seed enterprises (VSEs) throughout Afghanistan. VSEs provide the means for small business development, new markets, crop improvement, technology transfer, training and educational opportunities for Afghan farmers. The stations are also essential components in the development of crop diversification

Crop diversity provides improved nutrition for mothers and children as well as higher incomes and new markets for cash-starved Afghan farmers. At stations in Nangahar and Kabul Provinces, farmers have been trained in the production of virus-free potato seed for drastically improved yields.

The stations develop, test and evaluate new crops for distribution throughout the region. Farmers visit the stations to examine and select varieties for their own operations that perform best in their climate. They also gain information on best practices for fertilizer and pesticide application, new farming methods, and water management.

Six seed health and testing laboratories are being re-installed at the stations along with meteorological equipment to provide accurate weather data. Training courses for Afghan men and women ensure that the stations have skilled and qualified staff now and for the future.

Deeper wells have been dug where the drought has caused them to go dry and improved crop seed is being multiplied for distribution to Afghan farmers and seed-supply entrepreneurs. In each district, a village seed production unit has been set up. The stations provide access to equipment and training for harvesting, cleaning and treating seed for farmers starting their own seed business. In this way, they will be able to guarantee their customers that the seed they buy is improved, disease-free and weed-free.

While refurbishing the ruined facilities, ICARDA works closely with the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock on this and other projects to rebuild the country's agricultural infrastructure. Recent accomplishments include the fall 2002 distribution of 5,000 metric tons of improved, adapted wheat seed to over 90,000 farmers in 11 provinces. Weather permitting, this distribution of high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat is conservatively estimated to produce more than 100,000 metric tons of wheat in 2003.

Horticultural products have traditionally accounted for a large share of Afghanistan's export markets. During the years of conflict, entire orchards were destroyed and four years of drought decimated what remained. Many trees were cut down and burnt for fuel. The agricultural stations in Baghlan, Kunduz, Taghar and Nangahar have planted enough fruit and nut tree nurseries to replant hundreds of acres of orchards.

The rebuilding of these agricultural stations in five provinces (Kabul, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, and Nangahar) was accomplished in little more than one year. They represent an important step toward a brighter future for Afghanistan's agricultural economy.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment

The Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan is a multi-partner effort led by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). More information on the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan can be found at: www.futureharvest.org

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the government agency providing U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years (www.USAID.gov).