development
projects
location Afghanistan dates November 2009 – September 2012 project team Muhammad Zahir Shah
managing crops in Bamyan and Parwan, Afghanistan
Over 80 per cent of the mostly rural population in Bamyan and Parwan depends on agriculture and natural resources for a livelihood. As the region lies in Afghanistan’s highlands, farmers mostly grow fruits such as apricots, apples, peaches, cherries and pears in small orchards, as well as crops such as potatoes.
so what’s the problem? Much of the land here is barren and inaccessible, characterized by acute water shortages, small landholdings, extensive food insecurity, and poor soil quality. However, specific areas of the region have benefited from many shortterm relief efforts and some infrastructure development. In addition, lack of technical know-how and worsening management skills in rural areas have brought agriculture to its knees. The region’s traditional farming system needs innovation, which the integrated crop management (ICM) programme provides by training farmers and agricultural workers in a new system of produce management, postharvest management and marketing for commercial agriculture.
what is this project doing? Enhancing agricultural productivity is vital to the development of this region. Although fertilizer is used by many, ICM is a new concept to most, and knowledge of productivity and ecologically sound agriculture needs to be improved.
KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
To help develop farming communities here, the Aga Khan Foundation – Afghanistan, in close collaboration with CABI’s centre in Pakistan, has initiated an extension programme on ICM of vegetables, cereals and perennial crops, which CABI has been given a mandate to design, facilitate and implement in the region. CABI is also providing technical support. We aim to: • design and implement learning experiments for farmers • develop technical promotional materials on ICM for smallholder farmers and those who manage the natural resources in the region • assist the Aga Khan Foundation’s staff to deliver services • co-ordinate with the Aga Khan Foundation’s national quality assurance specialist to establish monitoring and quality assurance mechanisms for the appropriate implementation of ICM activities • ensure the participation of all relevant people in the implementation processes We are designing participatory learning experiments for farmers and co-ordinating their implementation in the field. We are also helping to establish, develop and supervise a biological control laboratory to rear beneficial insects.
results so far Courses have been held for future trainers and farmers in ICM methods for different crops. We have helped to develop technology through participation. The course for future trainers, which involved producing off-season vegetables in polytunnels, included 20 participants from the Aga Khan Foundation, 39 lead farmers, four staff from a co-operative, 12 staff from the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL) and 11 from Bamyan University. These subsequently ran and facilitated 250 practising and regular farmer field schools (FFS), along with participatory technology development (PTDs), and worked with the farmers to develop this new technology. A total of approximately 6000 farmers (1000 of whom were women) were trained on field crops, vegetable production and perennial horticulture. We ran a refresher course on producing fruit and vegetables using ICM methods for the trainers during the project’s third year in all districts, including Bamyan, Shibar, Kahmard, Punjab and Waras (in Bamyan Province) and Surkhi Parsa and Shiekh Ali (in Parwan Province). We also successfully trained and equipped people as subject specialists and reared two major natural enemies including a parasitic wasp, Trichogramma, and lacewing (Chrysppa spp) in our biological control laboratory – the first of its kind in the region. This work should improve the region’s agriculture and consequently people’s livelihoods.
www.cabi.org/icmbamyan partner Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan sponsor Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan
contact CABI, Opposite 1-A, Data Gunj Baksh Road, Satellite Town P.O. Box 8, Rawalpindi, Pakistan T: +92 (0)51 9290132 F: +92 (0)51 9290131 E: cabi.cwa@cabi.org www.cabi.org/cwasia
ID-ICMBamyan-10-12
Muhammad Zahir Shah, Project Manager