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ADT supports agriculture productivity in Nangarhar

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio
  • U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs
FOB FINLEY-SHIELDS, Afghanistan --  National Guardsmen with an Agribusiness Development Team in Nangarhar Province are wrapping up a year-long tour in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.

Agribusiness Development Team V is the fifth rotation since the Missouri National Guard began deploying ADTs in 2008.

The mission of the ADT is to help develop and improve the country's agricultural sector by working closely with Afghan government officials called Agriculture Extension Agents, in each district, to initiate projects and educational opportunities for local farmers and business owners. The AEAs serve as the primary link between the Afghan agricultural sector and its government.

The team is comprised of Airmen and Soldiers assigned to agriculture, security and headquarters elements. They trained together for nearly a year before arriving in Afghanistan.

A unique aspect of the ADT program is the strong educational ties that have been built across Missouri's higher education system since the concept began in 2008. This allowed Team V to partner with universities during pre-deployment training for specific agricultural instruction and to build connections with technical advisors for the duration of their deployment.

Team V's intent while deployed was to support initiatives that ensure the sustainability of agricultural productivity once the ADT mission is complete.

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. David Piontek, served on the agriculture element until being selected as the senior enlisted advisor on the headquarters element. He said the challenges Afghan farmers are facing are the same American farmers faced in the beginning stages of our growing nation.

"After 40 years of war, the Afghan agribusiness sector is starting at square one," Piontek said. "Americans have worked through a lot of issues to get to where we are now. Afghans don't have the agricultural processes in place that we have researched and developed, but we are in a position to pass that information along to them."

During ADT V's tenure, the service members have worked with the Afghan AEAs to facilitate the construction of an Agriculture High School in the Rodat district and for renovations to Nangarhar University's agriculture building. They have also started construction on an Agriculture Information Center and wheat storage building in Shinwar district and have submitted plans for a center in the Bati Kot district. They also successfully constructed a retention wall to stop erosion and protect an aqueduct that irrigates a large section of farmland in Shinwar.

The team also successfully instituted the Technical Agriculture Training Academy, monthly training sessions with all of Nangarhar's AEAs. Subject matter experts within ADT V hosted lectures on topics such as vegetable production, soil science, meat inspection, plant disease control, livestock health and nutrition, orchard management and value-added processing methods.

"The goal of our training academy was to build upon the technical capacity of the local agribusiness sector, while also providing opportunities for interactions and idea sharing in a community-building setting," said Army Capt. Allan Sharrock, agriculture element.

Sharrock hopes the AEAs will continue the training, after ADT V departs, as a forum for the local agribusiness sector to strengthen and develop the Afghan agribusiness practices.

"Incomes of the local farmers can be directly affected by small steps, such as increasing transport of goods and teaching value-added processing, with canning techniques and produce packaging, to further the longevity of a product," he said. "We tried to encourage immediate growth in the value chain, by helping farmers find new markets for their products."

As his team prepares to depart, Piontek is hopeful for Nangarhar province's future in agribusiness.

"We are working with a country that doesn't have all the resources available in the U.S., like power, highway and railway systems," Piontek continued. "But, the Afghan people are hard-working and want their country to be prosperous. I see the potential here and I'm very hopeful for their future."

For more information on the Missouri ADT program, visit: www.nationalguard.mil/features/ADT/.