Following is the text of the August 14 press release:

USAID WELCOMES INCREASE IN CROP PRODUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN

Washington, DC -- Food production has increased by 80 percent in post-Taliban Afghanistan, according to a newly released study.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP), with USAID assistance, recently completed an assessment of crop and food production in Afghanistan. The study reports significant increases in the production of wheat and other grains, which are key staples of the Afghan diet. It estimated the total domestic production for the current harvest to be 3.56 million tons, about 80 percent higher than the poor harvest of 2001.

This substantial increase is due to two factors: relatively better rainfall, including late rains that extended the fall planting season, which gave farmers a chance to plant seeds; and increased availability and higher quality of key agriculture inputs, particularly seeds and fertilizer.

For this current harvest, USAID has funded the provision of 7,000 metric tons of improved wheat seed, fertilizer, and technical assistance to farmers in Afghanistan. The seed was delivered to more than 40,000 farmers through non-governmental organizations working in cooperation with Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock as well as the FAO and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). In addition, $5.45 million in fertilizer was distributed through private channels, thus bolstering the commercial distribution system for inputs.

In spite of the productivity increase, the recovery of the agriculture sector in Afghanistan is far from complete and still faces many challenges. This year's total grain production is still about 800,000 tons less than in 1999, when production was considered average. Thus despite the significant progress noted in the study, cereal production still does not fully satisfy Afghanistan's needs, and it is estimated that 4 million of the most vulnerable Afghans will continue to require targeted food assistance.

USAID is continuing to support further procurement and delivery of a variety of seeds, together with fertilizer, for the 2002-2003 fall/winter planting season. The goal of USAID is to restore Afghanistan's ability to produce its own improved seed and develop a modern, market-led seed and fertilizer distribution system by 2004. At the same time, USAID will continue to support emergency food assistance targeted at the most vulnerable Afghans.