The FSCAA Helps Facilitate Credit Services at Kunar FSC

Since its establishment in September 2008, the Kunar Farm Service Center has created 27 full-time jobs, trained 2,509 individuals and generated over $1.6 million in sales. The Kunar FSC provides high quality inputs and services, such as access to credit and output marketing services, to more than 4,000 households.

The FSCAA (Farm Service Center Association of Afghanistan) is an association that consists of all FSCs. The organization assists members in the development of marketing and advertising programs and output marketing, identification of new business opportunities, and provision of credit services and extension and training programs.

Farmers in the Kunar province often cannot purchase fertilizers, seeds, plant protection medicine, and other agricultural inputs without credit facilities. However, after several meetings of the FSCAA with staff from the ADF (Agricultural Development Fund) program and the ACE (Agriculture Credit Enhancement) project, the Kunar FSC became the first FSC to benefit from ACE’s credit services. A recent loan from the ADF to the Kunar FSC will help the FSC extend credit to Afghan farmers, enabling them to access high quality inputs that will improve yields and profitability. The loan to the Kunar FSC was structured in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.