Program aims to revitalize Afghan farm economy
By Melissa Mitchell, News Bureau Staff Writer (217) 333-5491; melissa@illinois.edu A year after the Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan, concerns have been raised about the failure to initiate adequate relief and development efforts in the region. But Earl Kellogg, UI’s associate provost for international affairs, has faith that living conditions for Afghans may begin improving soon, thanks to a new program intended to jump-start the war-ravaged country’s agricultural economy. “The International Arid Lands Consortium, with leadership from the UI, will be implementing a new program to train Afghan agricultural faculty, researchers and extension staff in the next four years,” Kellogg said. Program oversight will come from International Programs and Studies and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, with direction by John Santas, an ACES assistant dean. Most of the training will take place at the NorthWest Frontier Province Agricultural University in Peshawar, Pakistan, located about 140 miles east of the Afghan capital of Kabul. The university was developed over a 10-year period, beginning in 1984, with major assistance from the University of Illinois and Pakistani colleagues, working in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Many of NWFP-AU’s faculty members were trained at Illinois and other U.S. universities. The new training program, aimed at farmers and others engaged in agricultural production and agribusiness in Afghanistan, is being funded by USAID through a contract with the IALC. Illinois is a member of the consortium, along with five other U.S. universities and three research agencies in Egypt, Israel and Jordan. The program is part of a broader project that focuses on efficient use of water and conservation issues in the Middle East, most notably in Jordan. The University of Arizona, also a member of IALC, is providing leadership for the water conservation-education program. With respect to the redevelopment effort in Afghanistan, Kellogg said: “USAID wants something that can be fairly targeted and fairly focused, which can get off the ground quickly. Most of the Afghan people who lived in the agricultural areas … who knows where they are now? It’s been years since they’ve been able to focus on their work,” which he said, included growing crops such as sugar cane, wheat, maize, rice, soybeans, chick peas and apples, and raising cattle, poultry, sheep and goats. “We need to train a whole new cadre and apply hands-on assistance,” Kellogg said, adding that concrete plans for implementing the training program will follow a survey of needs. “This program is an integral part of the U.S. government’s development assistance strategy for Afghanistan’s nation building,” he said. “Agriculture will be a foundation for the economic growth of the nation, and this program will be a key for agricultural development efforts.” The UI’s role in the redevelopment efforts was acknowledged last month by President George W. Bush at a ceremony at the White House. Kellogg, who has chaired several national committees for USAID, was invited to attend the ceremony, which was held to honor individuals, institutions and agencies involved in relief efforts in Afghanistan.
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