Agro Perspectiva

USDA Employee Timothy Powers Returns from Rebuilding Afghanistan’s Agricultural Sector

26.03.2010 15:42 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) today announced that Timothy Powers, Chief of Transportation and Logistics for USDA’s food assistance programs in Washington, DC, recently returned from a one-year voluntary assignment in Afghanistan to help rebuild that country’s agricultural sector. «The efforts of people like Tim are crucial for creating a stable, democratic and economically viable Afghanistan,» said John Brewer, Administrator for FAS. «Whether their expertise is in food security, soil and water conservation, agricultural extension and policy, or veterinary services, volunteers like Tim are needed to contribute their specialized skills to help farmers, citizens and national and provincial government leaders of Afghanistan rebuild knowledge, institutional capacity and livelihoods. Together, we are providing the foundation on which the agricultural economy of the country can prosper and thrive and create political and social stability.» In Afghanistan, Powers served as the deputy coordinator for provincial affairs, where he led USDA’s in-country provincial reconstruction team efforts. In this capacity, he worked closely with the U. S. Agency for International Development and the U. S. Department of State on strategic planning and management efforts related to agricultural reconstruction, stabilization, and field activities. He was also instrumental in increasing USDA’s field advisor presence in Afghanistan fivefold, and assisted State Department’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the development of the U. S. Government’s Afghanistan agricultural strategy. In 2003, three USDA employees were among the first civilians to bring technical expertise as agricultural experts serving within civilian-military units composed of U.S. and coalition military personnel and civilians from such agencies as the U. S. Department of State, U. S. Agency for International Development and USDA. Since 2003, USDA has deployed 101 people for medium- and long- term assignments in Afghanistan and allotted roughly $256 million in food aid to the country. Agricultural experts work instructively with Afghans through a variety of activities meant to strengthen the capacity of the Afghan government, rebuild agricultural markets, and improve management of natural resources. USDA projects to-date have included installing windmills to pump water for irrigation and livestock, training veterinarians to detect and treat parasites, rehabilitating a university’s agricultural research laboratory, stabilizing eroded river banks and irrigation canals, developing post-harvest storage facilities, rehabilitating degraded orchards, mentoring provincial directors of agriculture to help them improve their services to farmers, and reforestation. FAS expects the total number of agricultural staff in Afghanistan to reach 64 during spring 2010. Born in Germany and raised in Tennessee, Powers received a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Powers now resides in Fredericksburg, Va. In addition to sending agricultural experts to Afghanistan, USDA also manages programs that train Afghan agricultural officials and professionals in the United States. USDA-led programs such as the Cochran Fellowship Program, the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program, and the Faculty Exchange Program have brought more than 50 Afghans to the United States since 2004 for specialized training lasting from two weeks to five months. These public and private sector policymakers, scientists, and academics have upgraded their technical skills in a wide range of topics and then shared their knowledge with students and colleagues in Afghanistan.