Are wheat seeds distribution programs suitable for all farmers in today’s Afghanistan?’ By Jean-Christophe Duchier, agronomist, junior researcher UNDERSTAND.

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?

2. Baharak, a densely populated valley

Description Agricultural history

Baharak, a densely populated valley

Where is it?

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

3. How to address the households’ diversity? Typology as a tool The land capital The labour ratio

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

Thank you for your attention

If you have any question….