April 1, 2008, New York, NY – With Afghanistan's spring planting season nearing completion, investments in GPFA's programs by individuals, foundations and international agencies are producing big dividends. This year alone, generous support from these Global Partners has given life to some 1.9 million trees and horticultural plants in 14 districts across 9 provinces. Our programs now encompass more than 2.5 million trees and plants, helping to revitalize the environment as well as increase family income.
But for Afghan farmers, GPFA initiatives have yielded benefits well beyond the number of trees in the ground. Training from our staff is helping farm enterprise owners to manage their businesses more efficiently and participate in growing market opportunities. These achievements, in turn, are spurring additional support from governments investing in the reconstruction of Afghan agriculture and forestry.
April 1, 2008, New York, NY – In 2006, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a two-year $667,400 grant to GPFA and Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD) to help farm families build sustainable woodlot and nursery businesses. One hundred and fifty such "enterprise farmers", together with 2375 small farmers - including 210 women, are benefitting from technical skills training and complementary support for farm forestry business development.
Given the success of this initiative, a $1.8 million extension of this support is planned. An investment of this size would significantly expand the reach and scope of GPFA's farm forestry and horticultural enterprise programs.
April 1, 2008, New York, NY – Complementing this USAID- funded project, GPFA has received a second round of funding from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, the German government agency for international cooperation. Over the next two years (2008-2009) this vital support will increase forest tree cover and establish viable forestry-related enterprises in Paktya province. Twenty-five privately owned poplar woodlots, willow farms and forestry nurseries will be created. The project will also support some 300 small farmers managing agro-forestry (mixed tree) farms - conducting farm forestry demonstrations, sponsoring field visits and study tours, providing training, and helping farmers to establish producer associations that develop markets for local produce and encourage local initiatives.
April 1, 2008, New York, NY – Following a successful initiative launched last year with funding from the World Bank Horticultural Livelihoods Project (HLP), GPFA is again collecting indigenous, varietal budwoods and cuttings to supply nurseries across Afghanistan. Some 1.7 million grape and pomegranate cuttings, apricot and almond budwood will be provided in 2008 as part of this $256,000 project. Activities are being carried out in the provinces of Kabul, Parwan, Wardak, Kapisa, Samangan, Balkh, and Kunduz.
April 1, 2008, New York, NY – GPFA staff members are working with 40 small-scale nursery owners in four districts in three provinces (Paktya, Wardak, and Logar) to develop modern nursery businesses with high quality planting stock.
In addition, GPFA technical teams provide training to hundreds of small vineyard and orchard owners receiving plant material from these nurseries. Supported in part by a four-year, 674,000 Euro grant from the European Union (EU), farmers are learning orchard and vineyard management.
GPFA staff provides training in land use, irrigation methods, pest and disease control, underground storage, packing and transportation. With our financial assistance and technological help, one orchard grower from Paktya constructed a 15 metric ton underground storage unit during the summer of 2007. In the fall, he sold half of his apple crop to a tekada - wholesaler - and stored the remaining half for sale in the off season. In January 2008, the farmer received three times more for his stored crop than he had received from the sale of the first half. This is just one example of how GPFA extension teams help farmers to enhance their marketing and business skills thus enabling them to compete successfully in the evolving market environment of Afghanistan.
In partnership with a US Military Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), GPFA staff helped farmers in Gardez to form The Gardez Apple Growers Association (GAGA).