Missouri Guard hosts Nangarhar Province’s agriculture director

By Silas Allen
Missouri National Guard

Safi Mohammed Hussein, director of agriculture, irrigation and livestock for Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province, traveled with an entourage during his recent visit to Missouri, including: (back row) Valeta McGhee, Capt. Steven Brothers, Command Sgt. Maj. James Schulte, and a Pfc. Brian Schuman; (middle row) Rep. Mike McGhee, Safi Mohammed Hussein, Lt. Col. (ret.) Tony Bamvakais, military executive for Missouri National Guard and mayor of Odessa. Mo.,; and (bottom row) Maj. Denise Wilkinson with daughter Bailey and Staff Sgt. Van Malter. (Photo courtesy of the Missouri National Guard)
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (8/17/09) -- Adjutant general Stephen Danner and the Missouri National Guard hosted Safi Mohammed Hussein, director of agriculture, irrigation and livestock for Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province, during his visit to Missouri this week.

Safi has worked closely with the Missouri National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Teams, which have been in Nangarhar Province since late 2007. He visited the state at the invitation of U.S. Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, who has been instrumental in developing and supporting the program from its inception.

Joining Safi on his visit is Maj. Denise Wilkinson, the executive officer of the second Agribusiness Development Team, and Command Sgt. Maj. James Schulte, who was a member of the team’s advance party.

“The reason I am here today is because of the efforts of Maj. Wilkinson and her team,” Safi said. “I am here as a witness to show the people of Missouri what’s been done in Nangarhar Province.”

The Missouri National Guard became the first in the nation to have an Agribusiness Development Team in 2007. They served in Nangarhar Province from fall 2007 until December 2008. The current team arrived in December 2008 and is expected to return in November 2009, when they will be replaced by the Missouri National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team III.

The 60-member team is made up of Missouri Army and Air National Guard members from all across the state. The team consists of security force personnel and agriculture specialists including an agronomist, pest management specialist, agriculture marketing specialist, hydrologist, soil science specialist and large animal veterinarian.

Since the inception of the Agribusiness Development Team program, Safi said, the province has seen a 25 percent increase in production. He attributed this increase in part to fair weather, but also to the Missouri National Guard’s efforts.

Roughly 85 percent of Afghans are farmers, Safi said, so the majority of the population stands to benefit from the team’s presence in the region.

Bond said the team represents a combination of abilities that is unique to the National Guard: because many Guardsmen work in agriculture-related fields in their civilian careers, they are able to bring a range of pertinent knowledge to the mission.

“The National Guard is uniquely and perfectly fit to take on a challenge like the Agribusiness Development Team,” Bond said. “The National Guard brings ‘smart power’ to help the people of Afghanistan.”

On Aug. 14, Bond and Safi toured the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Mo. Joining them were Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, and Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Charlie Kruse, the director of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

During the visit, Danner said the program will continue its efforts in the region in the future.

“Our Agribusiness Development Team program continues to grow stronger as we are preparing our third team for this exciting mission,” he said. “The Missouri National Guard is proud to have been the pilot state for the Agribusiness development team program.”

On Aug. 16, Safi toured the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. During the tour, Rep. Mike McGhee remarked that the team’s mission is especially fitting, since Missouri’s economy leans heavily toward agriculture.

“Missouri is still run by agriculture,” he said. “That’s our main thing.”

Other highlights of Safi’s stay will include visits to the Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences/Cooperative Research Programs, Lincoln University, University of Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Conservation. All of these agencies are partners in the successful Agribusiness Development Team concept.

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