Are wheat seeds distribution programs suitable for all farmers in today’s Afghanistan?’ By...
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Transcript of Are wheat seeds distribution programs suitable for all farmers in today’s Afghanistan?’ By...
Are wheat seeds distribution programs suitable for all farmers in today’s
Afghanistan?’By Jean-Christophe Duchier, agronomist, junior researcher
UNDERSTAND LOCAL DIVERSITY TO DESIGN SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS
Plan
1. Research’s issues
2. Baharak, a densely populated valley
3. Which households’ diversity?
4. Which programs’ diversity?
1. Research issues
Are “wheat seeds distribution program” always relevant?
How to ensure a better integration of relief and development programs?
Baharak, a densely populated valley
Mainly irrigated fields 50,000 inhabitants Sub-urban area Located on the main road
crossing Badakhshan
Characteristics
Three periods
20051900 1979
Agropastoral period
1930
Wheat replaces grazing land
Cash crop including poppy are increasing in the cropping pattern
General development (especially health, education)
MORE and MORE people
War and END of war (returnees and new
consumption goods)
-Low population density- Remote area
More people so:1. Basic food needs
increase2. Land pressure
increases
-Most of the infrastructures are destroyed- Lots of refugees come back- The central government has less power
-Minimum diversification (meat, bread, vegetable)- Priorities were given to livestock breeding thanks to the low land pressure
-Less fallow and grazing land-Prority is given to cereals to cover the increasing food needs
Intensification is the natural evolution of this agriculture
Land becomes extremely rareLand price are unaffordable
Government’s UN’s, NGO’s programs
Baharak, a densely populated valley
Which households diversity?
Why a typology?
To have a comprehensive view of the households’ diversity
To identify relevant projects for every types of farmers
1,25 jb/adul
t*
LAND ratio
LABOUR ratio
* Adult = > 12 years old
Which households diversity?
Land ratio
Why THIS typology?
Wheat is the most important crop in the afghan “culture”.
One adult needs 1,25 jerib to be self-sufficient in wheat
WHY 1.25 jb/adult?
One adult eats 35 ser of wheat per
year
One jerib gives about 100 sers of
wheat
•Wheat is a biennale crop.
•Cost of production: 20 %
and 25 sers
35 / {(100-20%-25) / 2}= 1,25
All data comes from 100 random interviews
Division of land during the
transmission or Birth of children
Difficult to build up again the land capital because of
land pressure
1,25 jb/adul
t*
1 male worker can support 2 other family
members
LAND ratio
LABOUR ratio
* Adult = > 12 years old
Women’s work outside the compound is unusual
in Baharak
Big land
owners 20%
Small land owners
40%
Landless
40%
Which households diversity?
Labour ratio
Why 1 male worker can support 2 other adults?
3 adults need 75 to 100 afs per day for basic food and about 50-100 afs/day for fuel: 125 to 200 afs/day
Basic food: 23 to 32 afs/day per
adult
One worker can at the least support 3 adults
On day labourer: 150 afs/day
Daily salary: 150 to 300 afs/day. It is
regarding the season, type of
job...
On day labourer doesn’t work
throughout the year
Fuel, clothes are essential: (50 to 100 afs/day and
per family)
Division of land during the
transmission or Birth of children
Difficult to build up again the land capital because of
land pressure
Change of family structure: The elders children are able to work
Change of family structure: birth of children
1,25 jb/adul
t*
1 male worker can support 2 other family
members
LAND ratio
LABOUR ratio
* Adult = > 12 years old
Lack of worker
80%
Enough workers
20%
Which households diversity?
4 3
2 1
6 5
Households able to produce surpluses
or/and have enough domestic workers
(30%)
•Households grow high-value crops •Households keep on farming wheat and resort to non farm activities
6 types of households
1,25 jb/adul
t
Big land owners
Small land owners
Landless
Credits and assets depletion (70 %)
Lack of worker Enough workers
1 male worker can support 2 other family
members
Farming systems based on wheat
Women’s involvement in agricultural tasks Non farm
acrivities
4. Which programs’ diversity?
Development programs have to be diversified
Development programs should be flexible enough to integrate relief programs
Which development programs?
1,25 jb/adul
t*
1 male worker can support 2 other family
members
LAND ratio
LABOUR ratio
4
6
3
2 1
5
Wheat seeds distribution programs are not efficient for these households. These programs prevent them to try out other cropping systems
High value crops could be more adapted
But, these cropping
systems request lots of labour
force
Since these households
have enough male domestic workers, they
are less receptive to this type of programs
Programs have to be adapted to the local diversity in order to be relevant and sustainable
Big land owners
Small land owners
Landless
Lack of worker Enough workers
Programs have to involve women to get over the lack of male domestic workers
Since these households are facing a lack of male
domestic workers, they
can be receptive to this type of programs
80% of households do not have enough land to produce an extra
About poppy…
Decision making process
Location: the government has
more or less control
Credit: Poppy allows access to
credit
Attracted to new consumption
goods
Land ratio
Poppy chain is the most
developed crop chain
Crisis: war, drought, disease…
There are many factors which influence farmers. Each one has to be taken into account
68%
Relief or development
1,25 jb/adul
t*
1 male worker can support 2 other family
members
LAND ratio
LABOUR ratio
4
6
3
2 1
5
Big land owners
Small land owners
Landless
Lack of worker Enough workers
Activity system
Households’ needs
FARMING ACTIVITY NON FARM ACTVITIES
SHOCKS
NON FARM ACTIVITIES CREDIT ASSETS DEPLETION
Non farm activities are non sufficient
for the housholds
facing a lack of male domestic
workers
Credits are expensive
(debt burden)
Benefits from development programs might be lost
Relief programs
Development programs should be flexible enough to integrate relief programs
Conclusion
Local diversity exists and has to be taken into account. (women example)
More field studies in order to understand the local diversity
Program design should be based on the local staff knowledge