VZCZCXRO8968
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #0479/01 0391332
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081332Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5441
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000479 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR PGOV AF
SUBJECT:  Preparing U.S. Military Ag Programs for Civilian 
Transition 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: At a CENTCOM-initiated and sponsored January 29-31 
workshop, military and civilian representatives developed a plan for 
transitioning assistance from Agribusiness Development Teams (ADT)to 
civilian expertise over the next several years.  Stakeholders from 
the Embassy, United States Forces - Afghanistan (USFOR-A), 
International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan (ISAF), ISAF 
Joint Command (IJC), Regional Command East (RC-E), and National 
Guard Bureau headquarters also identified actions to address 
challenges in the current civ-mil environment, while maintaining 
continuity and unity of effort, in areas where ADTs operate.  Next 
steps include providing guidance on the roles and responsibilities 
of ADTs and Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) to civilian and 
military leadership, publishing standardized "best practices," 
identifying agricultural requirements for those provinces served by 
ADTs, and sharing that information with USG counterparts.  End 
Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) ADTs in Afghanistan are currently sourced by the Army and 
Air National Guard, which combine agriculture expertise (from 
civilian experience or acquired via focused pre-deployment training) 
with mobility and force protection.  There will be nine National 
Guard-sourced ADTs in FY10: 8 in the RC-East and 1 in RC-South.  The 
ADT presence, which began in 2007, will decrease to a four teams in 
2012 and beyond.  Agribusiness development assistance at the 
sub-national level includes: advising Directors of Agriculture, 
Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL) at the provincial level; advising 
extension agents; extending the reach of DAILs and extension agents; 
providing training and education to DAILs, extension workers and 
farmers; and providing extended information operations in their 
areas of operation (AO) as well as in the U.S.  ADTs have their own 
security forces (SECFOR) and access to Commanders Emergency Response 
Program (CERP) funds independent of PRTs -- resources dedicated to 
the agricultural sector.  ADTs have experienced fewer targeted 
attacks, reportedly due to their positive image among Afghans, but 
with their dedicated SECFOR probably also playing a role. 
 
Taking Action to Ensure Unity of Effort 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The workshop outlined several areas that need to be 
addressed in the near term in order to lay the groundwork for a 
transition in ADT roles and responsibilities.  Key issues identified 
include:  civilian-military organizational challenges; lack of 
civilian agricultural resources in the ADT AO; and unclear military 
leadership over who has responsibility for the agricultural sector 
when a PRT and ADT have the same area of operation -- all factors 
that hinder civ-mil unity of effort. 
 
¶4.  (U) Attendees agreed that civ-mil teams must work together to 
ensure better allocation, coordination, and synchronization of 
resources during the transition from military to civilian 
agricultural expertise.  IJC agreed to prepare a military 
fragmentary order (FRAGO) that will task the Regional Commands to 
re-assess and better delineate the roles and responsibilities 
between ADTs and PRTs.  USFOR-A will develop a Request for Forces 
(RFF) that considers the best force tailored to future agricultural 
requirements. The Embassy Interagency Provincial Affairs Office will 
work with IJC to define provincial expertise requirements as each 
ADT prepares to transition from military to civilian expertise.  It 
will be critical for civilian agriculture experts to have their own 
funding sources at the lowest operational levels in order to sustain 
activities previously utilizing CERP funds. 
 
¶5.  (U) Workshop participants also identified Afghan government 
leadership and mid- to long-term USG and other donor support as 
critical factors for developing Afghan agricultural capacity. 
Participants agreed on the importance of creating incentives for the 
sector to become independent.  They agreed to develop mid- to 
long-term resource planning, following the start of U.S. military 
level drawdown in the second half of 2011.  Much of this planning is 
already underway by the Kabul-based Embassy Agriculture Team, in 
support of the USG Agriculture Assistance Strategy for Afghanistan, 
and will be discussed with the various civ-mil elements outside of 
Kabul to determine specific needs and how they can be addressed by 
future agriculture assistance. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Transition will require PRTs to be resourced appropriately 
to take on responsibilities heretofore funded by the ADTs.  These 
resources will need to include additional civilians with 
agricultural expertise, force protection for activities originating 
from PRTs, and funding able to be disbursed at the most local levels 
 
KABUL 00000479  002 OF 002 
 
 
to replace previous CERP resources. 
 
EIKENBERRY 
 
 
 
 
 
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