Afghanistan is struggling with unemployment and poor economic performance because of drastic reductions in foreign aid and continued social instability. While efforts have been made to improve the private sector, including several sectors like mining and manufacturing, the gains have been modest as Afghanistan remains beset by conflict and instability.
Yet investments in agriculture, particularly horticulture, have produced tangible returns as unique weather conditions are favorable to growing produce that are in-demand in local and regional markets.
An example can be found in Mullah Durani, a farmer from Mohammad Ali Kas village in Qarghaee district in eastern Laghman Province, who converted his field to growing grapes for fruit consumption in 2015 that is paying off in creating jobs and boosting income. “My land has generated eight times higher returns, while I can use the local workforce on my own farm instead of sending them to cities to work for others,” says Mullah Durani. “I have also been able to create seasonal jobs for a number of villagers during harvesting.”
The key to his success, he says, was choosing the right variety of grapes instead of grains. “My recently established vineyard produces grapes at a time when there are almost no domestic fruits in the market and in return, I get higher market prices,” he points out. “This year I sold about $4,000 worth of grapes from 2,000 square meters of land.”
By converting his field to growing grapes, Mullah Durani received investment support and technical assistance from the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock under its National Horticulture and Livestock Project (NHLP). The project is funded by the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) and helps farmers in selected districts adopt better production practices.
The recent Afghanistan Development Update report published by the World Bank in 2017 records a gross domestic product (GDP) annual growth rate of 2.2 percent in 2016. GDP growth was linked to the agriculture sector, which reported a growth of 6 percent in 2016, largely resulting from an increase in horticulture output. This increase is partly due to recent investments in the horticulture subsector, helped by NHLP.
Until the late 1960s, Afghanistan was a major export of horticulture products, particularly dried fruits. However, continued instability has constrained both production and marketing to the extent that the country has become an importer of many products that could have been produced domestically.
Among its many activities, NHLP is introducing improved varieties of horticulture crops to farmers around the country. The project has reached more than 55,000 farmers, like Mullah Durani and helped them establish new orchards and vineyards, many of which have started to bear fruit. Since perennial horticulture crops take between three and six years to produce a full crop, many of the orchards established in 2013 have started yielding, with many more expected to bear fruit in the coming years.
These investments are expected to boost growth and create jobs across the country. NHLP has benefited over 400,000 farmers and herders, both women and men, with investment support and technical assistance in horticulture and livestock, and created a successful model of operating in a conflict-affected environment such as Afghanistan.
Inamullah Asmat .I have a degree in Agriculture(Horticulture) from Nangarhar
University and I have a diploma in Human Resource Management(HRM) IRC
program . I have been working for Different s constructions Companies
(full Time) on a contract basis. I have become particularly interested
in this field works and now I wish to develop my career in the fields
with your organization. I would welcome the chance to work as part of
a big and dynamic team,
contact:0093788259360
Thanks and Regards Inamullah Asmat
Dear Inamullah,
Thank you for your comment. Please kindly visit www.worldbank.org/jobs for any employment opportunities in the World Bank.
Best regards,
Solicit business communication from exporters-importers-and chamber bodies to discard apprehension and switch to value creation possibilities.
Thanks
LN Bhola
Lnb.Odiex@gmail.com
M+91.7894665117
wish to discuss with exporters-importers and chamber members for business engagement.
Salaam
+91.7894665117
Once Afghan was a peace full country and rich in the state of foods and jobs. The things was changed in the mid 90s and further. The militencey carried the destroy of the countrys economic and the peace for govt:. After toppling of the govt: peace is left from the country. Taliban took over the countrys control and destroyed the peoples stability and the economic control. Once the country is the bigest exporter of fruits and nuts to different countries in the Europe and US. After the toppling of the Talibhan by US, the peace come back and the horticulture and other Augriculture products and the cultivation of fruits and the other augiculture outputs in the Afghan. Still some provinces are still controlled by militencey and the talibhan. Hope the compleate peace will come with in 10 years of strugling.
Mr.Jim thanks for sharing this success story. I would like to draw your attention for lack banking and finance coverage to Afghanistan Agriculture sector.Commerce which is hardly 8 percent of GDP got 16 banks plus number of Financial Institutions but Agriculture sector which is more than 40 percent of GDP got no bank.So it is requested to please push and help Afghanistan Government to create an Agriculture Bank in Afghanistan.I have a strong concept paper based on successful model.I can share it to you.I suggest that World Bank may start working on it.I will be available to serve as consultant to start work.
I have a dgree in Agricultural economic an extension development in agriculture faculty of kabul university and also I was an intern in AAEP2 priject for 6mounth an also I have experiances of working in management .now I like to work in the filed and I am intersted to work with your.
I have degree in horticulture from India BIDHAN CHANDRA KRISHI VISWAVIDYALYAYA, West Bengal India I graduate in this year 2018 I have experience of working in various types crops along with there culture so I have interest to work in my section and improve horticultural practice through scientific way in Afghanistan to improve production, incoming of farmers, decrease cost of cultivation and make healthy foods for human.
So I request your authority to provide me opportunity in this field to show my ability.
I like and interest work with your.
I am waiting for your support and well respond.
Thanking for advance.
With best regards
ZAKIULLAH AMINI