Through the $9.5 million USAID-funded Afghanistan Farm Service Alliance (AFSA), CNFA is laying a strong foundation for long-term agricultural development and increasing rural family incomes by catalyzing the growth of rural Farm Service Centers (FSCs). Learn More.

November 2009

Under the Community Development Agriculture Program in Paktia, Paktika, Khost, and Southeast Ghazni (CDA-P2K) project, VEGA, through its implementing partner ACDI/VOCA, successfully implemented the Alfalfa Seed Voucher Program in the complex region of central southeast Afghanistan.  

To establish connections and build the capacity of local agricultural retailers, ACDI/VOCA conducted the voucher program through 12 project-established Farm Stores, located throughout the P2K region.  The project distributed 1,000 vouchers to each of the 12 Farm Stores that farmer beneficiaries could exchange for a seven kilogram bag of alfalfa seed to plant one jerib, about half an acre, of land. Dependent upon the area and growing season, each farmer is expected to have a minimum of two cuttings. This will result in 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of alfalfa per farmer for a total of approximately 24,000 to 36,000 tons of alfalfa to be produced in the first year.