Agriculture Program

Agricultural Background of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a land lock and mountainous country. Besides mountain it has agricultural land and 70-80 percent of afghan populations depend on agricultural production. But 23 year internal conflict and unfortunately four years drought have resulted to retain traditional agricultural system and on the other subsequent civil war left some of that land unusable because of neglect, the planting of explosive mines and others problems, instability in rural area have seriously affected the agricultural sector, disrupting rural livelihoods and dismantling the economy, despite of the fact that only 12% of land is cultivated. Only 2 percent country's lands are forest. The environment of Afghanistan is generally too dry and too cold for much life. Moreover, desertification is increasing due to timber wood consumption, uproot shrubs, and collect dung for burning. There are possibilities to increase agricultural production if Afghanistan makes initiative with proper plan for modernization of agricultural sector, which would ensure more irrigation facility, cereal crop cultivation, vegetable production facility, enhance poultry and livestock production through providing technical knowledge with input supply and plantation facility for greening Afghanistan with flora and fauna. Livestock and poultry v illage poultry production by individual families is the predominant system in Afghanistan . It is based on indigenous chickens, scavenging for feed supply. Extensive surveys by the FAO program for Afghanistan have shown that poultry production is an important activity for poor and landless villagers. In many cases, poultry is the only asset directly owned by village women. These studies have also shown that village women own 92 percent of the village chickens. It is therefore very important to take initiative with holistic approach involving offering financial support (credit) and training on new farming technologies as well as improving farmer's access to animal health service. Though there is incentive for agriculture and livestock in Afghanistan , but its need to become sustainable in terms of environmental, agricultural and livestock production.

BRAC Chairperson F. H Abed Visiting Mazar-e-Sharif With Aminul Alam, Jalaluddin Ahmed.

BRAC Agriculture Development Program

Despites years of conflict and limited arable land, Afghanistan has history of plentiful food production and much of nation's foreign exchange earnings come from agricultural products. Considering the present agricultural potentiality in Afghanistan , BRAC Afghanistan has started its Agricultural Development Program since September 2003 with aims to improve the agricultural production through involvement of rural poor women. BRAC has designed to implement the program in such way that farmers could get access to quality tools that would make cultivation of such crops as wheat crops more efficient and profitable. Furthermore farming activities- harvesting, threshing, ploughing and sowing will have to accomplish in a two months periods through conducting proper training and demonstration by technical expertise. Effort would be made for productive enhancing intervention for landless owner, create employment opportunities with utilization of natural resources. In addition with agriculture and livestock program, BRAC Afghanistan is implementing afforestation activities in order to environment protection that include nursery establishment, block plantation, roadside plantation, and small nursery establishment by poor women. The objectives of agriculture and livestock program are to:

• •  Increase agricultural production with involvement of poor women
• •  Build of farmers awareness and knowledge through conducting proper technical training
• •  Create income generation and employment opportunity for betterment of livelihood
• •  Mobilize small farmers socially to use their local resource
• •  Provide good quality poultry chicks and feed to the beneficiaries
• •  Increase good agricultural practices including horticulture nursery, kitchen gardening as well as poultry and livestock
• •  Enhance tree plantation to protect environment.

Agriculture program

Wheat Demonstration:

Wheat cultivation in Afghanistan is main cereal crop. Most of farmers are cultivating traditionally. That's why BRAC has planned training on wheat cultivation that related to high yielding variety so that farmers could get more production. Total of 80 wheat farmers have trained and input distribution has been completed. Duration of the training was 3 days. Training included pest management, high yielding variety, disease control etc.40 farmers in Kapisa province (20 in Kohistan-2 and 20 in Md. Roki), and 40 farmers in Balkh province (Balkh-13, Dehdadi-17 and Qudibag-10). 240 kg wheat seed distribution has been completed. All farmers are happy about this certified seed Ammu-99.

Maize Cultivation:

Immediate goal of maize cultivation is to help farmers produce enough food to cover the country's basic need and for the national agricultural system as well as effort to provide alternative livelihoods mostly for the farmers currently engaged in poppy farming. Recent report from UN state that Afghanistan is the one largest poppy producer and it is increasing day by day. Reason is that farmers are getting 10-15 times more secure cash benefit than any others crops. BRAC has designed to address alternative livelihood of poppy cultivation by providing technical training with high quality seeds and adequate fertilizer. During program implementation, local farmers have reacted positively to the new technology and “are pleased to have access new varieties with better yields and other advantages, compared to their old variety”. Farmers using new technology have reported yields of up to two to three times higher than their neighbors. We hope that result of this reporting period will influence mass population in this way that such type of crop cultivation will recover food insecurity from the country and at the same time beneficiaries would receive as an alternative livelihood of poppy cultivation. During the reporting period, the agriculture development program provided training to 574 farmers on maize cultivation. The three day training has conducted in 4 districts: Khewa, Beshood, Baticot and Surkhrood in Nangarhar province. Total of 1000 kg Hycorn-11 hybrid seeds have been distributed. Agronomists from BRAC were engaged in assisting the farmers in hybrid variety of maize seeds, methods of line seed sowing, proper fertilizer applying, and kale making on the line and given suggestions and advices on pesticide use in connection to IPM activity.

Kitchen gardening:

Kitchen gardening is a simple and effective way to immediately benefit the vulnerable poor, including returnees. The promotion of kitchen gardening supports provides income, improves food security and promotes a balance diet and increased nutrition of targeted beneficiaries, particularly women and children. To enhance kitchen gardening in homestead level BRAC has trained 200 poor women in different provinces, 178 kg seed and 3683 kg fertilizer have been distributed. Okra, Onion, Eggplant, Pepper seeds have been distributed for spring season. The kitchen gardening activities provided women with basic nutritional information as well as training in growing a variety of vegetables for consumption and sale. BRAC has conducted training total of 200 women on different vegetable Out of which 120 from three district (Khiwa, Beshood and Surkhod) in Nangarhar province and 80 women in two districts (Mohammad Roqi and Kohistan-2) of Kapisa province.

Horticulture Nursery:

Afghanistan had lot of horticulture product from which 60 products was exporting. But due internal confliction as well as four years of drought has destroyed entire orchards and irrigation systems. In order to increase horticulture practices in Afghanistan, BRAC has trained 50 beneficiaries and at the same time Seed- 240 Kg Fertilizer-574 kg has been provided that included three districts (Mozburabad, Surkhod and Beshood) in Nangarhar province and two districts (Mohammad Roqi and Kohgistan-2) in Kapisa province.

Vegetable Seed and hand tools distribution Campaign:

BRAC Afghanistan has participated vegetable seed distribution campaign, which is supported by FAO, Afghanistan . 2400 farmers received (8 districts under 4 provinces) 7 types of vegetable seeds (Tomato, Onion, Carrot, Eggplant, Capsicum, Okra and Beans) and 4 types of agriculture tools (Shovel, Spade, Water cane, Trowel) received from FAO. The germination of seed was 85% and beneficiaries who have received vegetable seed and hand tools, they became happy with satisfactory production.

Nursery Project in Mazar:

BRAC Afghanistan has started Balkhab Rod Integrated Environmental Protection Programme in Balkh province from October/05, which included two big nurseries one is Taktapol and another one is in Balkh district. The objectives of the program are:

• •  Ecological restoration by increasing tree covers in Balkh province.
• •  Increase the supply of food, fuel wood , pole, timber, biomass and fodder, reducing the pressure on the natural vegetation.
• •  To reduce the depletion of tree resources by bringing all suitable available land in the rural areas i.e. roadside/marginal/fallow under tree cover with the active participation of rural poor.
• •  Involvement of communities and private sector in management and conservation of natural resources.
• •  Generate income and employment opportunities for the rural poor, focused on women
• •  To improve the overall socio-economic conditions through proper land use and management practices of the project areas.
• •  Improve the capacity building of stockholders
• •  Expected out of the project are Established of nurseries with total annual outputs of 1,000,000-1,500,000 tree saplings.
• •  The project will produce a total of 3,000,000- 4,500,000 trees:
• •  Leaving for government land with 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 saplings in the nurseries on completion.
• •  1,600,000 saplings sold by foster mums.
• •  400,000 saplings returned by foster mums for distribution and other projects
• •  1,000,000 saplings planted and distributed in roadside, canal bank, school promises.

Training in ALDCSP (Agriculture, livestock development credit support program):

BRAC Afghanistan is giving loan to farmers to have an access to use this money for agriculture. In addition wit credit support, BRAC Afghanistan has organized training on vegetable cultivation, cereal crop cultivation and orchard gardening to develop the technical knowledge of farmers In 2005 agriculture development program has conducted 382 on vegetable cultivation, 162 cereal crop and 50 orchard gardening as well as 200 agriculture extension worker as a para profession. Duration of training on vegetable cultivation, cereal crop and orchard gardening was 3 day and for 21 days for extension worker

Poultry and Livestock

Livestock Clinic:

In order to treatment facility of livestock animal and compliment of para-veterinary, BRAC has established four livestock clinics, which are: two in Parwan (Jabul Siraj and Bagram district), one in Nangarhar (Shukrod district) and Balkh (Balkh District). Due to unavailable of livestock animal BRAC Afghanistan has closed Bagram livestock clinic. Each clinic has one Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with one para-veterinarian. BRAC livestock clinics are now serving treatment facility of household animal as well as cluster wise vaccination program through mobile clinics in order to reduce mortality of livestock with the help of the DVM and para-veterinarian. They also visit the beneficiaries' households. In an addition BRAC has assisted two government livestock clinics after receiving request letter from the General Director of the Department of Veterinary. BRAC has supplied some selective Medicines and Equipment to the Government Livestock Clinics of Kapisa (Central and Kohistaan-2).

Broiler Farming:

BRAC Afghanistan is implementing broiler rearing through poor women in order to income generation by themselves. Poultry production in Afghanistan is based on domestic chicks. Extensive surveys by the FAO program for Afghanistan have shown that poultry production is an important activity for poor and landless villagers. In many cases poultry is the only asset that directly owned by village women. Although contribution of rural poultry production to Afghanistan is significant and contributes more than 98% of poultry products in the country, the indigenous breeds normally have very low production potentials. In 2005 BRAC Afghanistan has trained 103 women on broiler rearing in Kabul and Parwan provinces with aims to produce broiler. BRAC has carried out training on different aspect of broiler rearing like advantages of rearing high quality variety of day-old-chicks, rearing house and management, letter use, brooding, feeding, disease prevention and vaccination. After receiving the three days training, the women have been implementing broiler chicken rearing activities for table consumption as well as for selling. Each of the trained women has been provided 100 no's day-old-chicks and necessary feed, feeder and drinker as well as medicine and vaccination facility. Although it was not available in Afghanistan but BRAC arranged to buy these inputs from Pakistan . The trained women had started their rearing from June 2005. It was not possible to rear in the winter season (December-march) because day-old-chicks are unlikely to survive in the extreme cold weather. During program implementation it has observed that if adequate facility like availability of day old chicks, feed, feeder, drinker, it will be helpful for sustaining the broiler rearing farm in the rural area.

Layer Rearing:

Layer rearing is one of most important activities as an income generating activities in Afghanistan , which could provide a major source of protein to children and families, and women are primary managers of poultry production. Due to unavailable of high yielding poultry bird, balance food in rural area most of the Afghan farmers are producing in traditional system in which mortality was counted more than 50%. They have no proper knowledge and efficiency to rear layer rearing. But there are potentialities to develop poultry would give a substantial source of supplementary food for the nation and lucrative subsidiary occupation to large section of the people, particularly women. With aims to income generating activities through layer rearing, BRAC has provided technical and financial assistance to poor women. BRAC is implementing cage layer rearing since May 2004. In 2005BRAC has trained and distributed two month layer with balance feed, feeder, and drinker to 40 beneficiaries in khulm district under Balkh province. In 2004, BRAC Afghanistan has distributed 20 birds to 250 beneficiaries, but in khulm district BRAC has provided 50 no's two month layer birds to establish as small level layer farm which would be one of the major source of income for their family. The beneficiaries has been selected by their self interested to do layer program, and those who have limited land for chicks layering has been given preference.

Layer Rearing helps Rais Gul family

Rais Gul is living village of Bagh-e-rais district under Kabul province. Her husband name Mir Ahmed. She has no any education. Her husband is working as a mobile vegetable seller. They don't have any agricultural land. Only her husband was the main income source through vegetable selling. They have three daughters and two sons. One son and two daughters are going to school. So, it was difficult for them to minimize nutritional requirement of their family member as well as expenditure. They don't know layer rearing would be another source of income that could helps their family. One day BRAC PO (Poultry PO) went to Rais Gul's house and discussed about layer rearing program. She became more interested to select herself in this program. After that she participated 3 day training course on layer rearing so that she could able to know the management, disease control, feeding system and vaccination of layer rearing. After completion of training, BRAC had provided 20 two month old layer birds with balance feed, feeder and drinker 20. PO (Poultry) and sometime DVM visits her house and time to time has given suggestion as required. They had given suggestion for treatment, vaccination, feeding to keep the house clean for layer bird. This suggestion and vaccination was helped to save all of bird. Now Rais Gul knows layer rearing technique properly. After 3.5 month she got eggs production. She had 18 layer birds out 20 birds and everyday she was getting 10-13 eggs. She thought that if she buys more bird, she could get more egg that will help her family expenditure. After that she also purchased some layer bird from existing eggs production. Now Rais Gul are rearing 30 layer bird from which she is getting 22-24 egg per day. Some times these eggs are using for household consumption, sometime she is selling egg to the market. She is motivated to rear layer bird in medium level. Rais Gul says, “Layer rearing has opened her eyes to earn money and help her family. She also believes that women could contribute for their family through layer rearing.

Artificial Insemination (A.I):

Milk production of local cow is 2-3 liter in Afghanistan , which can increase through development of local breed through artificial insemination. Livestock development program has organized artificial insemination training to develop Para profession in artificial insemination sector. Total of 10 participants from five different provinces participated for A.I. training. Up to reporting time, signboard and site selection, small nitrogen container has been received for starting the activities. Detail information has been given below:

Training in ALDCSP:

BRAC is offering loan to farmers sector to have a access to use this money for agriculture and livestock sector. Beside this loan opportunity BRAC Afghanistan has organized training on sheep and goat rearing, poultry rearing, cow rearing to develop technical knowledge of farmers In 2005 Poultry and Livestock development program has conducted 204 members on Poultry rearing, 198 members on sheep and goat rearing, 199 members on cow rearing and has developed 200 livestock extension worker as para profession. Duration of training on poultry rearing, cow rearing sheep and goat rearing was 3 day and for 21 days for livestock extension worker

Capacity Building :

BRAC believes that quality service will be ensuring through professional staff. In this case, in order to bring efficient professionalism, BRAC had organized Training for Trainers (TOT) course for DVM and agronomists. After completion of the training, DVM and agronomists have efficiently conducted training for beneficiaries. In addition with TOT, BRAC has organized training on project proposal writing for higher staff of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food 2005.Total of 20 participants has participated from department of Agriculture, Livestock and forestry. BRAC has also participated coordination meeting at Ministry of Agriculture, Kabul and provincial level in order to inform progress of different activities.