Photo By Sgt. Maj. Jason Stadel | Thamer Hussain Kashkool, feed mill owner, signs paperwork accepting a micro grant from...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Jason Stadel
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – A Sayafiyah feed mill owner and operator received a U.S. Department of State microgrant May 16 to get his business going.
The mill was inoperable for some time due to insurgent activities in the area.
"We always had to stay in our house," Thamer Hussain Kashkool said, adding insurgents had stolen the motor which operated the mill.
With most of the extremists driven out, the community is safer and therefore the focus has changed to rebuilding the agricultural-based economy.
Mike Stevens, Baghdad-7 embedded provincial reconstruction team agricultural adviser, said the mill's main purpose is to help area chicken farmers.
"We have a chicken coop ready to be stocked with 30,000 chicks," Stevens said. "We need this mill so we can stock the coops. The farmers need the mill to feed their chicks."
Without a mill in the area, Sayafiyah farmers have to travel to Baghdad to buy feed, something Stevens wants to avoid.
The money donated to Kashool was a U.S. Dept. of State Quick Reaction Fund grant. Stevens said the grant helps Kashool get back on his feet to provide farmers with feed.
"We give them money to start, and then we encourage them to get loans from the ministry of agriculture to cover the rest so we have Iraqis using Iraqi money," Stevens said.
Kashool said he would use the startup money to repair the mill's roof, and buy a generator, motor and various seeds.
In addition to chicken feed, the mill will produce feed for livestock and eventually fish.
Kashool told Capt. Shawn Carbone, Baghdad-7 PRT economic chief, that when the mill becomes fully operational he will be able to employ at least 14 people.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2008 19:48 |
| Story ID: | 19601 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 233 |
| Downloads: | 221 |
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