Provincial government building Afghan future with agriculture

KUNAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

10.07.2009

Courtesy Story

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

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KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Farmers planted seeds of a better tomorrow in eastern Afghanistan's in Kunar province with help from the provincial government, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team, Oct. 1.

According to the Kunar provincial agricultural director Mohasal Khan, the provincial government is working hard to improve the quality and quantity of the agricultural production in the province.

"We grew 48,000 metric tons of wheat last year. This year, with more rain and improved seeds, better chemical fertilizers and insecticides, we grew 75,490 metric tons, a 92 percent increase," Khan said. "But that is still not enough to feed all the people of Kunar province. We need to increase from two metric tons per hectare to four metric tons. Also, when we get more crops we will need to find markets for those products."

The provincial government is working with the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in Kabul to align with the Afghan government's five-year development plan for natural resource management, agricultural productivity and irrigation.

"Natural resource management is the most important, and irrigation affects all other programs," Khan said. "We're helping farmers to get loans to buy better equipment, needed fertilizers and pesticides. Also, we're using agricultural associations to teach farmers how to irrigate and plant to improve productivity. We teach things like how far apart plants should be planted, proper weeding and how to apply the fertilizer."

While there is much success in getting more production from provincial farmers, many challenges remain. One challenge is changing the perception of security in the province to get more help from non-governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations.

Khan said the provincial government is having trouble getting agricultural NGOs in Jalalabad to come to Kunar Province because of the perceived security situation.

"The Food and Agriculture Organization planned to give us improved wheat seed, but they said they will not come because Kunar is too dangerous for them. That is not the case, but we cannot get them to come," he said.

"[USAID's Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives- North, East, West] is giving improved seed to Nurgal, Chowkay, Khas Kunar and Narang districts and we do not have any security problems with these projects," Khan said. "That is an example of security in Kunar."

Producing and harvesting a healthy crop is only the beginning of the process for the farmers in Kunar. The crops do them no good unless they are delivered fresh to the markets for consumers to purchase them.

Transporting their product from the fields to the market before it spoils is also a significant challenge for the farmers, said Khan. This limits the provincial government's ability to distribute aid to farmers who do not have ready, reliable access to markets.

"Electricity is a big problem," Khan said. "We are a [subsistence culture] because we do not have a way to store our fruits and vegetables. With electricity, we can build the three cold storage facilities we have planned. That will help our farmers because they would be able to grow and store their fruits and vegetables."

While electricity seems like a simple answer, it bears significant challenges.

"Electricity takes a lot of time and cannot be done in a year. It takes a lot of time to build the infrastructure to have electricity," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Millard, Kunar PRT Civil Affairs officer from Pocatello, Idaho. "You can give everyone a generator, but where do they get the fuel? You have to find alternative solutions for this problem now. You need to build capacity at the same time you build your capability."

Khan said they are looking at new technologies and procedures to help solve the problem.

International Security Assistance Forces are continuing to work with the provincial agricultural director to help him better coordinate his efforts with the local government and other development agencies.

In a meeting, Sept. 30, Millard and U.S. Army Sgt. Stewart Yates, Kunar PRT Civil Affairs team sergeant and native of Salt Lake City, Utah, spoke with Khan about the relationship between the provincial agricultural directorate and the district governments and development agencies.

Khan also said he is looking forward to the new agricultural development team, which will soon arrive, so his office can continue to build success in the province.

The 40th Infantry Division ADT from the California Army National Guard is scheduled to arrive in October to begin work with the provision and district governments to spur economic growth via agribusiness.