Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Program (Champ)

2016 Annual Report

• The year 2016 was an important milestone for CHAMP. USAID extended the program three
years for a total of ten, a rare and distinguished event for any development project.
• CHAMP began in February 2010 and was extended three times, in June 2012, December
2014 and October 2016.
• In 2016, its seventh year of implementation, CHAMP’s work continued to reinforce gains
made in the export sector with a focus on lead firms, supermarkets and wholesale markets.
• In October, CHAMP received a three-year program extension and an additional budget of
almost $16 million. The program is set to run until December 31, 2019.
• Since 2010, CHAMP has worked to reduce poverty among rural Afghan farmers by helping
them shift from relatively low-value subsistence crops, such as wheat and corn, to high-value
perennial crops such as fruits and vegetables.
• CHAMP’s work in 2016 continued much as it had in the previous year, reinforcing gains
made in the export sector since the program began in 2010 by continuing CHAMP’s export-led
growth program with a focus on lead firms, supermarkets and wholesale markets.
• As 2016 was regarded as possibly the final year of the project, the work plan was structured
to provide a steady downturn of activity aiming toward project close-out in December. Trainings
for women were discontinued at the end of March while Quality Improvement activities (Farmer
Field Schools) were discontinued in late April.

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• Export Facilitation continued throughout the year, though subsidies to the trade offices ceased
in March 2016, with CHAMP acting in primarily an advisory capacity thereafter. Close-out
activities were abandoned upon the signing of the program extension, and the end of 2016 found
CHAMP preparing for a sharp uptick of activity in the following year.
• Under the current modification of the Cooperative Agreement, CHAMP is scheduled to
operate until December 31, 2019. The objective of the most recent extension, which added three
years and $16 million to the project budget, was to shift project efforts more toward downstream
market activities through supply chain improvement, export market development and gender
integration.
• CHAMP works to improve the quality of orchard produce through training in good
agricultural practices (GAP) and through direct technical assistance, FFS, and training of trainers
and government extension agents.
• To better facilitate training and outreach activities, CHAMP worked with 289 common
interest producer groups throughout the program’s area of operation. These groups consist of
farmers organized by crop type and geographic area, each with a lead farmer who is responsible
for disseminating information on CHAMP trainings throughout the group.
• CHAMP established FFS to support the exchange of knowledge between farmers and
CHAMP support staff.
• In 2016, CHAMP arranged FFS programs for 2,526 apple, apricot, grape and pomegranate
farmers in six provinces (including 294 women in three provinces). The courses covered a
variety of topics such crop nutrient management, soil management, pruning, fruit thinning,

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harvesting, post-harvest management, Integrated pest management, new technology and
producing for domestic and international markets.
• HACCP training is aimed at teaching attendees the systematic approach to food safety that
has become a world standard and a minimum requirement for sale or shipment to developed
countries.
• In August, CHAMP provided a training course on Food Safety, Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points (HACCP), and Harvest and Post-Harvest techniques to a total of five agricultural
trainers from the Kapisa Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL). The
training was mostly focused on grapes.
• CHAMP also operates trade offices in Dubai and New Delhi to create stronger linkages
between Afghan traders and overseas buyers. These offices ensure that Afghan traders are
receiving the appropriate profit from the sales of their fruit.
• Through its export promotion efforts, CHAMP provides assistance to traders in sorting,
grading, packaging and transporting their produce. This assistance brings product quality and
packaging standards to levels required for entry into demanding international markets.
• CHAMP has identified markets that demand high quality Afghan products and will pay a
higher price than nearby markets such as Peshawar, in Pakistan.
• In 2016, CHAMP’s marketing team worked with 13 Afghan companies in exporting 11,308
MT of pomegranates, raisins, dried apricots, almonds and grapes to markets in India and
Pakistan.

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• CHAMP supported the participation of four Afghan traders at the Gulfood Exhibition in
Dubai, February 21-25, 2016. The CHAMP team assisted with the design and set-up of a 40 sq.
meter booth and with related administrative and procurement tasks.
• CHAMP participated in the “Made in Afghanistan” Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi,
India on July 19-20, 2016. The conference provided a venue for 38 Afghan exporters to meet
and negotiate deals with Indian buyers.
• CHAMP integrates women into many areas of its programming. In 2016, women participated
in technical trainings aimed at improving their orchards and vineyards through farmer field
schools. Gender activities were discontinued at the end of March as part of the CHAMP 2016
Work Plan.
• In 2016, CHAMP results were measured by seven indicators, as determined by the
Performance Management Plan. During the reporting period, CHAMP collectively achieved
117% of its target indicators, as outlined below.
• Program spending exceeded the 2016 budget, as shown in the table below. Spending totaled
nearly $1.9 million, or 143% of the $1.3 million budget allocation for the year. Total life-of-
program spending (2010 through 2016) was around $44.8 million, or 99% of the approximately
$45.3 million budgeted for the period.
• The CHAMP Communications team oversaw the production of all media materials
disseminated by the program. This included internal communications, outreach materials,
documentation of project activities and program presentations

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• A total of 60 local national (LN) staff were employed by CHAMP at the beginning of the
year, decreasing to 37 by year’s end, largely owing to retrenchments related to a sharp downturn
of field activity in March and April. Expat personnel numbered two throughout the year (or 5%
of total staff). At the end of 2015, total staff numbered 39.