FAO in Afghanistan

Farmers find the path to sustainable and profitable dairy farming in Logar province

17/03/2021

 

Dairy farmers improve their milk production and generate thereby a sustainable income thanks to the effective adoption of new technologies facilitated by FAO


Livestock is not only a valuable asset but a critical means of livelihood for rural smallholder farmers in Afghanistan. Despite the importance of livestock production in Afghanistan, low-quality livestock production has remained a great challenge for Afghan farmers. Due to the limited access to quality fodder, wheat straw and low-quality fodder have traditionally been livestock’s staple diet (especially during the winter season, since green fodder is only seasonal in most places); hence hampering livestock productivity. Besides, most farmers have never considered silage as a strategic priority intervention to preserve animal feed.
Thanks to an FAO project aimed to develop the dairy industry, and funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), the most vulnerable dairy farmers in Logar province have been provided with training to improve their livestock production, improve dairy farmers’ food and nutrition security and enhance the production capacity of the dairy sector.


The success story of Haji Rahmatullah


“Now, I have sustainable sources of income through the sale of milk and the production of silage. I can support my family and cover the expenses of my children’s education,” says Haji Rahmatullah with pride on his face.

Haji Rahmatullah is a 58-year-old dairy farmer who lives with 16 family members in Mohammad Agha district, Logar province. He is an active member of the dairy cooperative that was established by this dairy industry development project in his village. Before Rahmatullah joined the cooperative, he had a miserable life; he was not able to feed his family, as he had no sustainable source of income. He had a cow, but the milk produced was not enough to feed the family. Moreover, feeding his cow with quality fodder was a huge challenge for Haji Rahmatullah, particularly during the winter season.
Fortunately, Rahmatullah’s life changed since he joined the dairy cooperative in 2014. In addition to the training that he received on silage making and animal feeding, he also attended various training on animal health, artificial insemination, and veterinary skills. This training helped him grow his cattle population. He started to practice hygienic milking and the milk production increased by 400 percent.

With the support of this dairy industry development project, Haji Rahmatullah has managed to grow his cattle up to four cows and four crossbred calves. He milks 47 litres per day, out of which four liters are consumed at home, and the remaining 43 litres are sold to the milk collection center at 27 AFN (USD 0.34) per liter. The sale of milk has become a sustainable source of income for Haji Rahmatullah. His monthly milk sales revenue is around USD 440.

Transferring knowledge to benefit other farmers

Haji Rahmatullah shared the knowledge and practical skills that he has gained on silage making with the other 25 farmers in the village. This year, the farmers trained by him have produced more than 40 000 kg of silage to feed their cows and sell in the market. Thanks to the project, Haji Rahmatullah and other farmers in his village have sustainable access to livestock feed and are able to produce higher milk yields.

This IFAD-funded and FAO implemented project also supports the farmers to establish milk collection centers, dairy cooperatives, and dairy unions at the village, provincial and national level to market their products. The project also facilitates veterinary field units to provide services to dairy farmers at a reasonable cost.