Afghanistan's mountain farmers make the most of their land
11 November 2008
At
48, Mohammed Daud has lived in the Panjab district of Bamiyan province his
entire life. Like many people in this mountainous province of Afghanistan,
Mohammed is dependent on agriculture for his survival. But because of the rocky
terrain, good farming land is in short supply.
To help local communities make a decent living from the land that is available, a DFID programme has been operating in the province since 2003. The programme encourages farmers to group together to discuss their collective needs, and then work out ways to address them.
By generating improved farming systems and agricultural techniques, the groups are having a real benefit on livelihoods - including those of Mohammed and a number of his neighbours.
Creating opportunities
"Before this programme, I was not getting as much yield from my land," says Mohammed. "The environment here is mountainous and harsh, and pasture is scarce."
As the sole breadwinner to a family of 15 (most of whom are women), Mohammed has to make his vegetable and wheat crops go a long way at the market, as well as ensuring he gets his money's worth out of the sheep and goats he keeps.
"The programme has taught us to get the most from our land and has increased our productivity. For six months of the year, it is too cold for us to farm and we are jobless, so this is very important."
As Mohammed explains, the lack of opportunities in the province can create many problems. "I used to worry about the youth in this area
- there was not much hope for
them. Many would either move away to other provinces or other countries or,
worse, be susceptible to joining insurgent groups."
"I still worry about the future, especially about food security for my family,"
he confesses. However, the programme is ensuring that Mohammed does not
become despondent. "Now we have more hope," he says.
Increasing crop yields
Thirty-four-year-old
Sayed Mohammed Hussain Ahmedi farms wheat in the Waras district of
Bamiyan. The head of his local farmers' group, he is also one of the
two breadwinners to his family of 20, which includes five school-age children.
"I used to farm wheat in the traditional way, but this project has taught me new
strategies and techniques to increase the yield of my crop," says Sayed.
"Where I used to get
7 kilos of wheat, I now get 20 kilos. If I did not have access to the programme, I would
have considered moving away from Bamiyan province - but it would have been hard
to take my family away from this area."
As well as bringing local farmers together, the programme also offers
educational classes to the provinces women. Sayed's family members are amongst
those who have benefited. "Nearly half of the women in my family have taken the literacy and skills
course," he says. "They can read and count, which means they can now go to the
market themselves and can read signs and recognise the value of bank notes."
Bringing security
Like Mohammed,
Jacob has lived with his family in Panjab district all
of his life. At 65 years of age, he has 16 people in his family – four boys
and the rest girls and
women. A grower of wheat and potatoes, Jacob has been able to increase the yield of
his crop tenfold through the programme.
"All of the money I make from my business goes on feeding and clothing my
family," Jacob explains. "The harsh climate here means that we sometimes have to buy clothes more
than twice a year. I worry about providing for my family, but the
programme has made me feel more secure."
Facts and stats
- Since June 2003, DFID has spent £3,373,890 on activities to support farmers through the SALEH (Sustainable Agricultural Livelihoods in the Eastern Hazarajat) programme.
- Through the programme, communities establish Farmer Based Organisations (FBOs).
- On current planning, the programme will run until at least 2010.
- Bamiyan is one of the safest of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Home to more than 387,300 people, the majority of these are ethnically Hazar.
- Bamiyan is mountainous, remote and subject to extremes of hot and cold, with temperatures rising to 45 degrees in the summer and plummeting to -40 degrees in the winter.
Links
- Signs of economic growth in Helmand province - 1 October 2008
- "Afghanistan: From stabilisation to state-building" - Speech by Secretary of State Douglas Alexander, 17 September 2008
- How we fight poverty: Conflict
