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Signing ceremony

On August 4, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to provide grant aid of up to 1,879 million yen for the Project for the Enhancement of Food Production Capacity in Afghanistan.

With the country facing extreme poverty and severe food shortages as a result of last year’s drought, Afghanistan is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance from the international community.

This project aims to improve the livelihood and economic conditions of farmers by carrying out the following activities in 11 Provinces of Afghanistan, contributing to SDGs Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).
・Rehabilitation of 326 small-scale irrigation facilities
・Distribution of seed packages to 18,000 agriculture farmers
・Distribution of livestock-protection packages including feed and vaccinations to 10,000 livestock farmers, and provision of home-gardening kits to 20,500 households
・Training related to the above activities

20 million Afghan people, around half of the population, face a severe level of food shortage due to the drought that hit 80% of the land in 2021. Also, about half of agriculture farmers are experiencing a decrease in crop harvest compared to the amount from last year, and there is the potential risk of losing around 3 million farm animals in the near future, which could lead to a loss of income for farmers. In addition, the inflation of the price of agricultural supplies including seeds and fertilizers is expected to cause a further decrease in agricultural productivity.

Details for the project are provided below.

[Basic project information]

Country	The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Project title	The Project for the Enhancement of Food Production Capacity
Planned implementation period	18 months
Executing agency	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)
Target region, facilities	11 Provinces in Afghanistan (Helmand, Laghman, Jawzjan, Badakhshan, Takhara, Kunduz, Khost, Paktika, Ghazni, Daikundi, and Badghis Provinces)
Specific project details (provisional)	Distribution of seeds, fertilizers, and livestock-protection packages including feed and vaccinations. Rehabilitation of small-scale irrigation facilities. Training for farmers.