The growing economy of Afghanistan, coupled with increasing numbers of international partnerships, has positioned farmers in the northern parts of the country to significantly expand agribusiness. Due to the accessibility of Central Asia, Mazar-e-Sharif has emerged as a major trading hub for farmed products. A new railway between Mazar-e-Sharif and Uzbekistan has created numerous trade opportunities with countries throughout Central and even Southern Asia. Similarly, bridges over the Amu River have opened trades routes with Tajikistan in Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces.
While the development of agribusiness can already be seen by the new shops opening up in Mazar-e-Sharif, farmers still face a number of hurdles as they struggle to maximize productivity and, ultimately, profitability. These problems include the unavailability of high-yielding seeds, lack of fertilizer and pesticides, and unreliable irrigation sources. In addition, many farmers do not have a complete understanding of planting and harvesting techniques. To address these issues, aid organizations have worked closely with farmers in the northern regions of Afghanistan to identify the best avenues for increasing productivity and ensuring food and economic security among Afghans living in rural areas.
Aid agencies have partnered with Afghan organizations such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock and the Directorate of Women’s Affairs to make their work as effective as possible. These organizations help farms incorporate best practices as learned from farmers around the world and mobilize women as a new workforce. Initiatives have aimed to build infrastructure and increase stability of agribusiness, largely through developing market linkages between farmers, business leaders, and consumers in Afghanistan and internationally.
To promote trade with Asia, aid providers have pushed for the development of a railway transit agreement with Uzbekistan that sets a clear policy and action plan for the transport of agricultural goods. Another important initiative taps public and private sector technology providers to create systems in support of growing agricultural trade.