PAL involvement in improving livestock management

PAL involvement in improving livestock management

The potential of livestock

The livestock sector plays a vital role in the economies of many developing countries. It provides food or more specifically animal protein in human diets, income, employment and increased revenue. For low income producers, livestock also serves as a reserve fund; provide draught power and organic fertilizer for crop production as well as means of transport. Milk provides relatively quick returns for small-scale livestock keepers. It is a balanced nutritious food and is a key element in household food security.

Livestock in Afghanistan

In general the livestock situation in Afghanistan is being seen in the wrong light which is caused by three decades of war and conflict. Actually the situation in the eastern region of Afghanistan remains encouraging.

Livestock in the eastern region is being kept as a source of generating income. The main reason for that is the relatively small capital required to obtain locally available resources and know how as well as satisfying most of farmers’ individual needs.

Although there are other limiting factors which affect livestock management:

1)  Availability of sufficient and high quality fodder particularly during winter

2) Quality standards and availability of veterinary services particularly in remote areas

3) Availability of high quality breeds.

The PAL

PAL is a 5 year EC funded project (2004-2008) in Eastern Afghanistan, partnered with the MRRD and managed by GTZ International Services.

PAL assisted and facilitated the process of participatory development planning on CDC, Cluster CDC (CDCC) at district level to respond tailor made to the needs and requirements of communities based on their proposals submitted to PAL.

More than 40% of the proposals submitted to PAL by CCDCS from 20 districts of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar provinces, requested assistance in the field of livestock. PAL’s assistance is to assist those who try to help themselves and are committed to the development of their own living conditions. Thus, an own contribution and performance of the potential beneficiaries is required.

Pal’s Concept regarding Livestock

Along with CCDCs other organizations and service providers working in the field of livestock in eastern Afghanistan requested assistance for example upgrading the knowledge of trainers in the field of veterinary. PAL’s strategy of implementing projects is to provide professional training on livestock production prior to the provision of any inputs. The livestock training comprises different modules depending upon the level of knowledge of the trainees. The aim is to provide a network of resource persons with professional knowledge as service providers to the communities. These resource persons will be linked to national projects to ensure quality standards in the future.

Assistance in training

PAL conducted 3 livestock trainings for AVA (Afghanistan Veterinary Association) trainers, for in total 90 members. These members were from Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar Provinces who are delivering services in the field of veterinary over the last 5 years.

The training module for AVA members consists of Veterinary Pharmacology, Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary First Aid, Animal Nutrition, Range Management, Poultry Management, Artificial Insemination, Pregnancy Test, Livestock Breed Improvement, Marketing and Business and Hygienic Milk Handling.

PAL responds to the CCDCS proposals and conducts a number of livestock trainings in different districts in the eastern region:

-          Dara-i-Nur (Sutan, Majgandol, Lamatak, Utran, Shemal and Kandak CCDCS) 30 trainees,

-          Chaparhar (Sholana and Sholana Banda CCDCS) 50 trainees,

-          ?? (Hadia Khel & Garatak CCDCS) 46 trainees,

-          Khewa (Shaga Lamatak female CCDC) of 67 female trainees,

-          Bati Kot (Sepai Qila female CCDC) 150 female trainees,

-          Kama (Mast Ali CCDC) 30 trainees,

-          Mehterlam (Noulam CCDC and Gomain CCDC) 63 trainees,

-          Alishang (Islamabad CCDC) 46 trainees,

-          Alingar (Kanda CCDC) 32 trainees

In total 484 trainees are well trained in livestock management tools and modern husbandry techniques.

Assistance in value chain development

PAL distributes 500 Ghazanchi wool sheep in Dara-i-Nur district for a wool sheep promotion project in December, 2007. 475 ewes and 25 rams were distributed to beneficiaries along a rotation scheme that will benefit in a few years several thousand families.

After lambing the number of wool sheep makes 780 within 5 months and the beneficiaries can harvest the wool from these sheep in May. The beneficiaries were trained in how to shear, store and process the wool in a better way. In addition their skills and knowledge on carpet weaving are upgraded with PAL’s assistance and a local entrepreneur. Thus adding value in processing the raw material can generate income in three ways by:

-          selling the improved wool,

-          selling the processed wool (threads) and

-          Using the wool in carpet production.

Improving the provision of fodder

The Eastern Region is an animal favoured area. Due to the high density of animals the beneficiaries of the region are mainly facing a deficiency in fodder. PAL received requests from many CCDCS for assistance in order to control the fodder deficiency and introduced “Mud” Napier Grass”.

“Mud” Napier Grass” is a perennial grass which produces 150 ton/ acre of lush green fodder in a year. Initially PAL assisted in the cultivation of plots of Mud Napier Grass for 13 farmers in 2 districts, Bati Kot and Pacher wagam of Nangrahar Province. Currently the grass is being cultivated on plots of 28 farmers in 7 districts of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. PAL is providing and arranging trainings to preserve the fodder in silage fodder preservation systems for all those farmers, district wise. 

PAL assistance improving the veterinary services

PAL received requests from remote areas of Dara-i-Nur, Achin districts of Nangarhar province and other provinces concerning support in the provision of quality veterinary services.

In the mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan pasture land is available although deprived from the basic veterinary services since long time.

If knowledgeable BWV linked to national veterinary programs and CDC would be available in these areas, they could alleviate the problem.

In response, PAL selects educated volunteers of the area and sent them to DCA (Dutch Committee for Afghan) Charikar Kabul for a 4 weeks BVW (Basic Veterinary Workers) training course. The BVW completed their training and now they are doing their practice in these far away remote areas under close monitoring and coaching of PAL SMS and are linked with the VFU (Veterinary Field Unit). 

Additional training on quality control, quality management in the field of veterinary and business training is provided

Summary

Despite the fact that a number of service providers and governmental programs are present in eastern Afghanistan, a large number of communities demand livestock promotion a as priority and based on participatory planning.

 

In response to the many requests in the field of livestock promotion in eastern Afghanistan PAL assists in:

-          training and upgrading skills and knowledge of trainers in the field of veterinary and fodder production

-          training of community members from remote areas as BVW, linking them to quality management of national programs

-          developing value chains in the field of livestock

PAL aims to make all interventions sustainable by ensuring that they are profitable those skills are upgraded and that communities are linked to national programs and service providers.

DISCLAIMER

This article has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and the GTZ IS. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the GTZ IS.

The Project for Alternative Livelihoods in Eastern Afghanistan (PAL) is located at Jalalabad and funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by GTZ IS