A Story of Cultivation

A frequent challenge that NGOs working with economically vulnerable people face is the lack of tolerance for risk. Particularly in the agricultural sector, subsistence or poor farmers just don’t have the margin to experiment with seed types or methods, despite the benefits it might bring; poverty mandates that you stick with what works because failure might result in hunger. The IAM Community Development Project recognizes that. However, after 10 years of working with local communities, an expatriate with over 20 years of experience in Afghanistan, Afghan agriculturalists and local farmers are testing and introducing rust-resistant types of wheat and introducing high-altitude vegetable cultivation. This work is bringing results!

The following is the story of one villager in the Central Highlands of Afghanistan, who took the risk.

“When the agriculture team surveyed our village, gathering information about water, land, and farming practices, saying that they would loan rust-resistant seed and DAP fertilizer for growing a new variety of wheat, I didn’t have very high expectations. In the past, I had tried new varieties brought by other organizations, but they didn’t grow well. As such, I was sceptical that this would be any different.

I decided to go ahead and plant the seed and use the fertilizer. Still, I had no confidence that it would be any different from other years.

I was surprised when the agriculture team regularly came to check how the wheat was growing. They also encouraged us to keep the field clean by weeding regularly.

At the end of the year when the wheat matured and ripened, they asked us what we thought about the results. We were very happy because the seed was good and produced a good crop.

I am thankful to the IAM staff for working with farmers to help them increase wheat production.”

Would you like to read more about our Community Development Programme? Click here to learn more.