Ministry's Three Years Achievements (2015-2018)

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL)

Condensed Summary of Achievements of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) during National Unity Government Term (2015-2018)

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Summary of Achievements of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) .

Preface:

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), along with its main tasks, has launched its development plans in all provinces of Afghanistan over the past three years (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). These programs have also included provinces and districts which previously were not the focus of the Ministry of Agriculture and were not yet developed.

The Ministry of Agriculture's leadership has tried to attract new assistance and implement the programs effectively, by building capacity in the working systems of the Ministry, which has made significant changes for better work coherence, speed and transparency in performance; all ministry’s programs are set up in eight sections, which are presented in this report.

In 2015, the percentage of budget expenditures was (69%), in 2016 percentage of budget expenditures was (84%), in 2017 percentage of budget expenditures was (91%), and in fiscal year 2018 the percentage of budget expenditures reached (95%). This means that the percentage of budget expenditures has risen steadily over the past years.

1Irrigation Section:     

• In order to ensure effective use of water and other natural resources for increasing the integrity of agriculture and its development, reconstruction and creation of 538 irrigation networks in different provinces of the country and 110 irrigation canal have been completed in Nangarhar province.

Similarly, the construction (21) of other irrigation networks is progressing in line with the ministry's plan in the provinces, 20 percent of which is being completed.

A detailed design project of Musa Qala and Zamen Dawar Canal have been contracted with the (77 Construction USA Corp) and its work is progressing with 40 percent being completed.

Feasibility studies project of Andkhoi Canal is being contracted with Hydro-design International Company and its work is going on according to the plan.

The feasibility study of Khosh Tapa Canal project in Kunduz province is being contracted with AECOM Company at a cost of 3.6 million USD with the financial support of USAID.

Feasibility studies for the canal are due to be completed during the fiscal year 2019.

The canal, originated from the Amu River, irrigates some 1,250,000 acres of agricultural land of Jawzjan, Balkh and Kunduz provinces, and is more than 200 kilometers long.

The plan for rehabilitation of irrigation systems of the lower areas of Salma Dam has been completed.

The plan for reconstruction of irrigation networks of eight district of Panjshir province is being completed and is under procurement process.

For fairly distribution of water and management of irrigation networks, 464 irrigation association have been created.

The creation of 1,258 water reservoirs with a capacity of 500 cubic meters of water has been completed in order to store water and irrigate gardens created in the dehydrated season.

• Distribution of 160 pedal pumps and drilling 329 deep wells with the installation of a Solar pump for irrigation of lands which are not directly accessible to water. And also better water management on farms that has more than 50,000 acres of land.

In order to manage the Salma Dam, implementation agreement of 33 irrigation networks has been concluded, 19 of which have been completed. With the completion of 33 irrigation water networks of Salma Dam, 13,900 hectares of land will be irrigated.

• The construction work of 10 pilot water units including cultivation of wheat, paddy, cotton and beans was completed in Kabul, Parwan, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar, Kunar and Baghlan provinces.

A total of 50 small control dams have been constructed, 79 small watersheds have been constructed, and 106 water storages have been constructed in 32 provinces.

2Food Security and Wheat Section

In order to increase yields in the production of cereals, grains and oilseeds at the national level, 34,401 metric tons of improved quality seed and 44,205 tons of urea fertilizers and 2,856 metric tons of DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) bought from domestic factories were distributed to eligible farmers in 32 provinces.

With the construction of 3,084 individual reserves and large potato and onion reserves in Bamyan, Kabul and Parwan provinces, waste of potatoes and onions has decreased from 40% to 5% in the harvesting season.

Horticulture, Industrial Plants and Farmers’ Support

• To enhance sustainable production of horticultural products, including the development of valuable products (apples, grapes, pomegranates, apricots, plums, pistachios, raisins and almonds), and the improvement of rural livelihoods in the community and market , over 57,436.5 acres of new gardens created, 7000 acres of old-fashioned garden was reconstructed, 3076.5 acres of dense and semi-dense gardens with the installation of a grape vining system constructed,  47,491 acres of local garden areas were restored, 14,486.5 acres of pistachio gardens were created in dry areas, and grapevine-style vineyards were installed in 731.5 acres of land.

Also 1,500 fruit collection equipment packages have been distributed.

• Construction and utilization of 4,467 large and small greenhouses have been completed to enhance the products.

• Construction and utilization 1,353 of a raisin storage facilities with a capacity of 7-10 tons for the production of high quality green raisins has been completed.

• • Construction and utilization of two cotton processing factories and vegetable oil with production capacity of 7,560 tons of oil per year and construction and utilization of three cotton processing centers of breeders’ cooperatives with capacity of one tons oil and process of 16 tons of cotton per day was completed.

• To raise saffron cultivation level,  over 13,013 acres of land have been cultivated saffron and 302.5 metric tons of saffron corms have been purchased and distributed, and 940 pilot saffron units have been constructed. According to the value chain plan for saffron, it was expected that saffron production level will reach 14 metric tons but fortunately the target was within two years and saffron production reached 16 metric tons in 2018(1397).

• For the first time, the cornerstone of the Afghanistan Saffron Institute was laid in Herat province. Developing this institute will change the quality and quantity of saffron in the country. The construction of the institute will be completed by the end of fiscal year 1398(2019). Also, improvements have been made for the export of saffron with General Console of Turkey, and he has lowered the tariff on imports of saffron from Afghanistan to zero.
• A total of 430 spring and summer research experience of industrial plants, vegetables and cereals have been implemented in 18 farms in center and in the provinces.
• A total of three buildings for research farms of Takhar, Kunar, and Paktia have been constructed.
• One plant bank building have been constructed and utilized at Badam Bagh Research Farm.
• The maintenance, and active-keeping of 18 horticulture development research farms have been completed in the center and provinces.
• Over 384 farmers’ schools have been established for the comprehensive regulation of plant pests in 20 provinces as well as 35 additional extension units have been equipped in seven provinces. Efforts have been done to control and struggle against plant pests and diseases in over 7,390,000 hectares of land.
• A total of two modern greenhouses with a total area of 157 square meters were constructed in the ministry’s compass for breeding, propagation, and maintenance of flowers.

• A total of 12 productive fruits nurseries (peaches, apricot, almond, pomegranate, apple) were developed in three provinces.

• Of 378 tractors and agricultural machinery existing in the provinces, of which 143 were damaged; the repair of 117 of them are underway. Also 184 tractors will be transferred to 33 provincial capitals.

• In the spring of 2019 (1398 Solar Year), a total of 536 tractors and agricultural machinery will be available to farmers, policy and mechanism of which will be arranged and implemented. The tractors will be available free of charge for those farmers who cultivate in drylands (rain-fed) fields.

<>··Technical studies of valuable plant production farm has been completed in Balkh province and its design is under development. The construction of the farm which is 2,500 acres in 15 kilometers of Amu River will be built for production of valuable plant (high price plant). The model farm, which was previously approved by his Excellency the president, will be used in the farm. The farm land will be leveled by laser and its water will be transmitted through solar energy and will be irrigated through drip irrigation system.  It should be noted that technical advice of Mr. Sargand will also be included in the design of the farm. It should be also noted that 50 percent of the cost will be provided by USAID while the remaining 50 percent will be provided by development budget of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Livestock and Animal Health Section:

• The process of producing and purchasing of over 800,000 vaccine doses for various animal diseases has been completed and over 11,145,285 cattle have been vaccinated, artificial insemination has been done on 5000 cows,  and 93,300 farmers have been provided with health and extension of livestock services.

• Brucellosis vaccines have been applied to 310,000 large animals and 1,900,000 goats and sheep (Rev-1)

• In Kabul central laboratory, 3.2 millions of anthrax vaccine and anti-poultry death vaccines have been produced.

• A total of 57 veterinarians have been trained in Kuchi’ regional clinics, and 298,000 Kuchi’s animals have been cured against diseases, 142,099 sick animals have been treated, and for 315,889 animals, anti-worm medicines have been distributed. Also 207 Kuchi women were trained on milking hygiene and necessary equipment were distributed to them.

• Over 162,000 doses of frozen sperm and cows’ semen were distributed to the provincial and centers’ stations.

• A total of 10 building and veterinary farms have been built and utilized.

• A total of 1,000 health veterinarian certificates were printed and IT equipment for controllers of Animal products control were distributed.

• Support has been provided for 1,254 veterinary units and extension services have been provided in 34 provinces.

• A total of 25 milk collection centers have been created.

• A total of 150 reagent for the diagnostic laboratory of animal disease, 34 equipment for management and control of animal product, equipment needed for laboratory, 48 material for artificial insemination laboratory including sperm examination machine, and 51 fish breeding have been purchased.

• Four poultry markets have been created in four provinces.

• The rehabilitation and reconstruction work of parts of Reshkhor Livestock Research Farm has been completed in Kabul.

• Three cow farming each with 10 cows were built and utilized in Balkh province with a share of 40 percent of Ministry of Agriculture and 60 percent share of private sector.

• 39 poultry farms each with the capacity of 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 30,000 chickens, and 16 incubator machines each with the capacity of 158400 eggs, with 40 percent share of Ministry of Agriculture and 60 percent share of private sector were built.

• Training programs of winter food preparation was implemented for 430 livestock keepers.

• Imports of H5N8 chickens and their products were banned to Afghanistan due to an outbreak of influenza.  The imports were banned based on credible information from the officials of Iran and International World Animal Health in order to protect the citizens’ health, and immunity of poultry farms.

• Imports of old chicken (older than 18-month) and frozen chicken from Pakistan and other countries were banned. These types chicken is harmful to health due to the presence of ‘heavy metals’ and other harmful substances. So far, over 2,500 kilograms of meat have been destroyed in the provinces.  It is also important to note that preventing and banning the imports of chicken from other countries, private entrepreneurs are encouraged to invest in different sectors of poultry.

• The revival of beekeeping centers was completed in Balkh and Herat Agriculture Directorates.

• Four quarantine procedures and public health veterinary as well as national plan for control of diseases have been prepared; implementation and evaluation of national control program of brucellosis disease has been carried out in 34 provinces.

• Construction and standardization of 289 commercial chicken meat farms have been carried out, which the farms have produced and supplied over 3.18 million chicken in markets.

• A training program for 3,000 beekeepers has been completed and for the first time a queen bee has been trained to replant bee inside the country. Also, new beekeeping systems have been implemented and over 1,800 tons of honey and nectar have been supplied to market, and Beekeepers Union has been established for the first time.

• Construction of 25 commercial poultry meat farms each with a capacity of 5,000 pieces is ongoing in five provinces.

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5: Management of Natural Resources:

<>··Stabilization (216) hectares of flood plains, (16) hectares of cuttings and fodder production centers and identification (3) of grassland associations in (15) provinces have been completed. Forty (40) forest workers and community members have also been trained in the rehabilitation, conservation and utilization of herbs and medicinal plants.

Stabilization of 216 hectares of flood plains, 16 hectares of centers for production of fodder, and identification of three pastures association have been completed in 15 provinces.

Also 400 forestry workers and members of the association were trained on rehabilitation, conservation and utilization of pastures and medical plants.

Over 2 million seedlings have been produced by creation of 109.5 acres of nursery land.

• Bandar-e-Amir National Park water supply network has been built, 1,000 meter pavement have been paved; 39 personnel were hired to protect the National Park of Wakhan, Band-e-Amir, and Kol-e-Hashmat Khan.

• Some 1,400 meters protective walls were constructed in two provinces in order to protect agricultural lands from flood damages.

• Some 1,973,539 seedlings and 7,809,111 trees’ seeds were irrigated. Also 840,581 meters terrace and nearly 3,000 meters forest roads were built. The construction of five irrigation networks were also completed in these areas.

• Two water reservoirs (absorbent wells) have been excavated in the ministry’s premises for reuse of rain water.

• The construction of Tissue Culture Laboratory for the production of Mother Stock will soon be completed.  The process of the equipping of the farms will be completed during the fiscal year 1398 (2019).

Women's Support Section:

<>····1100 semi-commercial farms with a capacity of 100-500 chickens have been created for women, and there 4,000 chicken were distributed for 200 women in Kabul province.

• Over 22,944 small poultry farms (30-100 units) and 3,530 small greenhouses have been built and distributed for women.

• To support women, 4 fruit and vegetable processing centers have been established in Kabul, Parwan and Logar Provinces, and there are also 200 small farmers' schools to empower women.

• A total of 53,932 women have been provided with agricultural extension services, livestock and capacity building.

Infrastructure and Private Sector Support

<>···In order to raise the economic level of the country's farmers, over 565 million AFN have been distributed for legal and small loans.

• The construction of five silos and a strategic grain storage based on the ministry’s fiscal year 2018 plan is ongoing.

• Rehabilitation and reconstruction of 17 agricultural research farm has progressed 85 percent in 11 provinces.

• The construction of three large storage facilities in going on in Faryab, Panjshir, and Paktika provinces with 76 percent of the work being completed.

• The construction of four slaughter houses has been completed in Kabul, Herat, and Balkh provinces and machineries of the facilities have purchased. The slaughter houses will be inaugurated in the coming two months.

• The construction of four story-building of the minister’s office is going on as well.

Institutional Reform (Policies, Plans, Regulations, Finance and Accounts, Procurement, and Transparency)

• The procedure for purchasing wheat have been approved by cabinet, and policies for seed cultivation have been prepared and used practically.

• The National Irrigation Program has been finalized with the approval of Presidential Palace and currently there are 3,000 irrigation network maps entered in the National Irrigation Database. Metrological installations have also been completed in five zones of the country.

• The national wheat program has been finalized for the purpose of self-sufficiency of wheat for the next five years and food security strategy has been completed in agriculture.

• Also, six new varieties of spring and winter wheat were introduced to the wheat national board.

• The draft law on pastures, a plan for the regulation of protected areas, a modification plan for the conservation and exploitation of medicinal plants, and the commencement of a national program of natural resources and restoration of forests have been completed.

• The law plan for medical plants and interim procedure for creation of pasture association have been completed and Green Afghanistan Regulation has also been completed.

• The Kabul Green Belt Project has been prepared and finalized, list of wildlife of seven areas, and proposal of natural resources management program have been completed.

• Preparation and finalization of National Promotion Policy and Farmers Learning and Resources Center

• Preparation of policy and national strategy of agricultural research

• Preparation and legal procedure of chemical fertilizer    

• Preparation of women national strategy in agriculture.

• Preparation and legal procedure of gardening policy.

• Preparation and procedure of agriculture road map

• Preparation of poultry industry development plan

• Preparation of Farah's Jujube growth Plan.

• Preparation and arrangement of watershed for creation of pistachio gardens.

• Preparation of a plan for controlling firing in Laghman province.

• Preparation of a national policy to raise rice crops.

• Preparation of a plan for creation of house nurseries for pistachio and walnut in Paktika, Khost, and Paktia provinces.

• Preparation and implementation of nurseries creation as well as animal health risk assessment.

• Preparation and procedures for committee of seed quality control.

• Preparation and arrangement of the implementation of regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL).

• Preparation and arrangement of production scheme, processing, packaging, and marketing of almond from Zabul and Daikundi provinces.

• Preparation and arrangement of policy and strategy of agriculture in dry land (Dry Land Farming Strategy)

• Preparation and arrangement of the farm inspection procedure, seed laboratory tests, and laboratory analysis.

• Completion of Nangarhar Canal sharing/ stockholding

• Preparation and arrangement of guidelines on national languages about greenhouses, unions, potatoes, poultry farms, dairy, grapes, bee keeping, cotton, business management, and marketing for private sector associations and the remaining ( wheat, paddy, corn, cereals, cane and etcetera.)

• Preparation of value chain plan of 18 agricultural products including pine nuts, wheat, saffron, paddy, pistachio, dairy, poultry, olive, and pomegranates have been completed.

• Preparation and arrangement of watershed guidelines and greenery, guidelines for irrigation network design, irrigation network maintenance guidelines, comprehensive plant guidelines, monitoring and evaluation guidelines, restoration guidelines, forest protection and regulation, and guidelines for regulation of pastures.

• To ensure financial system transparency, procurement, information technology, and human resources have been centralized.

• The procurement information system (digital procurement system) is arranged in coordination with the relevant directorates and is currently operational.

• Online systems for reception, archive, complaints registration, internal management department, information and meeting arrangement of the minister’s office, Afghanistan agricultural calendar, information and price data, and the centralized system for data management have been designed.

• The provincial agricultural knowledge bank and human resources management system will also be developed and designed soon.

• Online database (electronic archive) to accelerate and optimize the daily, weekly, monthly and annual work of directorates and the ministry and students and clients access who want information on daily prices of agricultural products, and weather.

• For the first time, Green Afghanistan Video Program for rapid transfer of agricultural practices have been implemented by the ministry. For the implementation of this practice, 150 different agricultural videos have been recorded and have been trained for farmers through PICO projectors.

• Public Relations Office at the entrance gate of the ministry (reception) is built in order to create order, discipline, transparency within the ministry, addressing and providing better services for clients, and expediting the implementation of the ministry's work plan and central directorates by installing (20) counters for (20) Employees, installing (13) Cisco Digital Telephones, and installing of 20 LCD TV for advertisement.

• For the purpose of transparency in the agricultural trade with Pakistan, the issue of quarantine and plant protection, which have been fake over the past years, has been resolved and is currently being used by the ministry’s certified certificate.

• 28 seed producing factories have been introduced to the Attorney General’s Office over corruption.

• Seed distribution system has been created through voucher and for the first time has been implemented experimentally in some districts.

• As result of fighting corruption, 750 million AFN have been saved in contracts and 15 corrupt employees have been discharged and referred to judicial organs.

• Non-tax revenues of the center and provinces include (rent and lease of agricultural land, rent of state-owned land, rent of technical equipment, sell of health insurance certificates, dairy sales, sell of agricultural products, fines and penalties for individuals and persons and other income has risen by 68 percent from (131.059.016 AFN) to (219,588,593 AFN), also the ministry’s budget expense in the fiscal year 2018 (1397 Solar Year) was 95 percent.

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Emergency Situations

• Based on authorized authority order, 29,698 metric tons of animal feed and 2,082 metric tons of corn and wheat straw have been distributed for livestock holders of 18 provinces. Also the distribution and transferring of 11,172 metric tons of animal feed for livestock holders of 17 provinces is ongoing; 4055 metric tons of animal feed for livestock holders of 12 provinces is currently under procurement process.

• Comprehensive efforts and control have been done in 170,015 acres of land to fight against plant pests and diseases.

• Outbreak of chicken influenza has been prevented in   Herat, Kabul, Logar, Kunar, Nangarhar, Bamyan, and Kapisa province on time. Also 150,000 chicken have been distributed for effected poultry farm holders.

• During the fiscal year 2018 (1397 Solar Year) the ministry distributed 188,959.180 metric tons of wheat from central silos of Balkh, Pul-e-Khumri, Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Helmand, Ghazni, Laghman, Nangarhar, Badghis, Ghor, Zabul, and Nimruz to the natural disasters effected families in 25 provinces. Currently there are 63,832.210 tons wheat in 18 storage facilities and silos of the center and provinces.