Grains of Hope – Afghan farmers struggle to recover from years of calamity
Afghanistan has been grappling with numerous challenges, including political turmoil, natural disasters, poverty, drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These crises have taken a toll on the country, leaving millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. The situation has only worsened in recent times, with the deepening economic crisis and the collapse of public services. This has had a profound impact on poverty, food security, and agriculture livelihoods.
In response to these pressing issues, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has started a project “Emergency livelihood assistance to safeguard food security and local food production of the most vulnerable rural families in Badakhshan, Badghis and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan” with financial support from New Zealand. The objective was to safeguard food security and support local food production for the most vulnerable families in rural communities. One of the most important interventions was the distribution of certified wheat seed packages, including fertilizer and training on wheat cultivation to promote food security among vulnerable farmers with access to land and water. Wheat is a staple crop and highly consumed food in Afghanistan.
A total of 13,500 households (113,585 individuals) were supported in this project. 6,000 households (52 705 individuals) received winter wheat packages, comprised of 50 kg of locally sourced certified wheat seeds, 50 kg of Urea and 50 kg of DAP fertilizer as well as training on wheat cultivation and harvesting techniques. Wheat producers were selected based on specific project vulnerability criteria, e.g. most severely affected by disasters and highest food insecurity and poverty.
Dahan Mangan village in Bala Murghab district of Badghis province, a remote area with approximately 250 households, was among the communities benefitting from the project support. Most residents in the village rely on agriculture and livestock for their livelihood. However, years of drought, a devastating plague of Moroccan locusts earlier in 2023 and limited economic opportunities had pushed many farmers into financial hardship.
Fazel Seddiq, a 35-year-old farmer from Dahan Mangan, expressed his satisfaction with the results of the FAO intervention: “my yield has doubled due to good quality seed and fertilizer. I planted two jerib (0.4 ha), and God willing I shall harvest 2.6 tonnes of wheat, valued 66 875 Afghani (USD 976) which will be sufficient for my family for the entire year.”
In the challenging context Afghan farmers are suffering, positive interventions like this offer some hope. FAO has been implementing crucial agriculture and livelihood development projects across the country to support the most vulnerable households. These efforts aim to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis and provide a foundation for rebuilding and improving livelihoods in Afghanistan.