INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The US Agency for International Development&s new $80 million grant to Afghanistan will boost food production which will generate more
income into the war-torn country and revive rural markets, the UN&s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said in a statement on
Thursday.The grant comes as the country&s agricultural sector struggles to produce food, achieve food security and build resilience in the
face of continuing drought and a worsening economic crisis.&Agriculture is the backbone of Afghanistan&s economy, people&s livelihoods, food
production and food security
Almost half the total population face acute food insecurity & hunger on a daily basis & reaching over 70 percent in many rural areas
USAID&s generous support will help Afghanistan&s farmers to begin seeing beyond the current crisis and start laying foundations for future
recovery& the FAO&s Representative in Afghanistan Richard Trenchard said.The five-year contribution from USAID will support the country&s
urgent need for emergency intervention, to help farmers and build more climate-smart and resilient livelihoods through an increase in the
production of nutritious foods and fostering an environmentally friendly practices, the FAO said in a statement.According to the statement
the fresh funding from USAID will be implemented in eight provinces around the country & Nimroz, Ghor, Daykundi, Jawzjan, Badakhstan,
Nuristan, Paktika and Prawan & all of which are facing acute food insecurity according to the latest IPC assessment.The UN agency is also
implementing an &unprecedented humanitarian [program] to protect rural livelihoods& of more than nine million people across 34 of
Afghanistan&s provinces this year during this difficult time.The FAO said it will create some producer groups to enhance linkages to local
markets and create microfinancing opportunities which will target various products including dairy, crops, and livestock and provide people
with tools such as micro solar dryers, and zero-energy cold storages, among other equipment.The agency expects significant environmental
benefits such as afforestation, climate-smart pastures, riverbank management and the reduction of soil erosion to be achieved.The post US to
grant $80 million aid to boost Afghanistan food production first appeared on Ariana News.
