Global forum on food security and nutrition

ANNEXES

Annex 1 - Mohammad Jafar Emal, IFAD/RMLSP/MAIL, Afghanistan

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL)

Rural Microfinance and Livestock Support Program (RMLSP)

International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)

(IFAD/RMLSP/MAIL)

Backyard Poultry Development in Balkh and Jauzjan

Study on Creation of Other Income Sources from Backyard Poultry Productions

Prepared by:

Mohammad Jafar Emal,

National Poultry Advisor, IFAD/RMLSP/MAIL,

E-mail: [e-mail]

Kabul, Afghanistan,

April, 2016

Introduction/Background:

The government of Afghanistan through the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is promoting small holder poultry production as part of the global strategy and a tool for poverty alleviation in Afghanistan. In consideration with this global principle, the Backyard Poultry Development project funded by IFAD via RMLSP through MAIL, was initiated in 2010 in North of Afghanistan with the aim to reduce vulnerability and improve on a sustainable basis the livelihoods, incomes, food security and nutritional status of more than 5000 poor and vulnerable rural households.

Although the backyard poultry income alone is not sufficient to enable an average Afghan rural family to rise above the poverty line, it can constitute the first step out of poverty. The possibilities and opportunities for the beneficiaries to take the next step was built, encouraged, initiated and practiced into the enabling environment, throughout the period of the project. The reports received from targeted villages, indicated that above 15 percent of the beneficiaries initiated other income sources from poultry products income, such as tailoring, embroidery and livestock sheep, goats, female calves and even cotton processing machine from the poultry income. These initiatives open a window for the next step into enabling environment, poverty alleviation and further economic development in rural areas of Afghanistan.

The additional technical knowledge that women gain through the technical training can also be for some a good basis to further develop a more semi-commercial poultry production system.

In rural Afghanistan small-scale poultry production has a number of comparative advantages, namely:

• 
  It needs less capital investment and land ownership is not a requirement.
  
• 
  Short reproductive cycles ensure quick financial returns.
  
• 
  Village women can manage and benefit directly from household poultry.
  
• 
  While feed supplementation is a major variable cost, part of the daily nutritional requirements can be obtained from scavenging, kitchen waste and spent/spoilt grains.
  
• 
  Crossbred pullets, the Golden Crossbreed, which is well adapted to the rural environment in Afghanistan are locally available and popular.
  

The results indicate that the project has reached the poor rural women, the main target of the project, and those women beneficiaries have benefited positively in terms of income, food security, social and economic empowerment. The project experiences show that the additional income generated through the sale of eggs, pullets and old stock has immediate positive impacts for the rural women beneficiaries that are practicing the improved backyard poultry management. With the help of Women Poultry Associations they are able to sell their products and generate extra income that is used for domestic needs and creation of other income sources.

This field study was conducted to explore the opportunity for the social and economic empowerment of rural women in Afghanistan.

Methodology:

The project trained and equipped the Village Group Leaders (VGLs) as well qualified poultry trainers, facilitators, instructors and day-to-day advisors to their relevant Village Groups These VGLs are then organized in Poultry Associations of their relevant districts. They are performing well their family poultry development business, collecting and reporting the relevant data’s on poultry productions, marketing, Seasonal Female Family Poultry School (FFPS) and other activities. In order to conduct a study on ”Other Income Sources Created through Poultry Incomes”, the VGLs of 32 randomly selected villages among 104 targeted villages were advised to collect the required data with the assistance of poultry monitors and submit it to the poultry project manager and monitors. The required data from 245 targeted beneficiaries belong to 32 villages was collected and submitted to the National Poultry Advisor , which was for compiling it into a field study. Very simple questionnaire was developed and provided to the VGLs of selected villages for data collection.

The data collected on creation of other income sources from poultry productions and reported by the VGLs in 32 villages randomly selected out of 104 targeted villages of 5 targeted districts is presented in the following table 1:

Table - Creation of other income sources from poultry products in randomly selected targeted villages


Discussions and Conclusions:

The data on creation of other income sources from poultry production collected , analyzed and shown in above table 1, indicates that among 1600 beneficiaries belonging to 32 villages of 5 targeted districts, 245 of them benefited from creation of other income sources from poultry products, which is about 15% of the all 5022 beneficiaries of the poultry project. The income of poultry productions used for creation of other income sources is summarized and discussed as below:

Income from Poultry productions:

Backyard poultry is worldwide accepted as a tool for the first step out of poverty. The main sources of family poultry income are surplus eggs, old stock and chicks/pullets. The income from old stock, eggs and pullets as shown in above table 1 is Afs.278950, Afs.431725 and Afs.66700 respectively, which is mainly used for creation of other income sources as livestock (cow, calf, goat, sheep, broilers) and tailoring/embroidery/cotton processing machines). The total income from sold eggs, old stock and chicks/pullet is shown in the following table 2:

Table - Income from poultry products used for creation of other income sources

	Sold eggs	Sold old	Sold pullets	Sold Broiler
		stock
Income (Afs.)	431725	387950	96700	168930
Percentage	40%	35%	10%	15%

As shown in above table and figure 2, the maximum income is saved from sold eggs, while the income from sold old stock is second, broilers is 3^rd and that of pullets is in the 4^th position. The broiler business is mostly practiced in Nahri Shahi, which is located close to Mazar-i-Sharif city. It is also initiated in Shoolgar district and will be developed in other districts as well.

The total income from poultry production is above one million (Afs. 1085305), which is mainly used for purchasing other animals as income generating source besides the family poultry farming.

Use of Poultry Income:

In consideration with the fact that “the backyard poultry can constitute the first step out of poverty” the RMLSP poultry project encouraged, initiated and practiced possibilities and opportunities for the beneficiaries to take the next step to build into the enabling environment. These efforts were mostly concentrated in the last 3 years of the project (2013, 2014 and 2015) to ensure the sustainability of backyard poultry approach. The percentage and amount of poultry income (Afs.), used for creation of other sources of income is shown in the table 3:

Table - The percentage of other income sources created form poultry income

	Female Calf	Goat	Sheep	Turkey	Machines*
Number	48	182	79	9	25
Percentage	10%	55%	28%	2%	5%

As shown in Table 3, the purchasing and rearing of dairy goats is the maximum (52%), while the sheep is 2^nd , female calf is 3^rd , machines is 5^th and Turkey is in 6^th position. This may due to local conditions, price of animal and need/interest of the beneficiaries. Purchasing of these animals’ means that, 48 dairy cows, 182 goats, 79 sheep, 9 Turkey and 25 machines are added form poultry income in the villages under consideration. The female calves are reared to become dairy cows, while the turkeys are mostly used for natural hatching and sold back or used for meat. The goats are kept mainly for kidding and milk production. The sheep are mostly purchased for fattening and sold back with good benefits. The machines are used for tailoring, embroidery, cotton processing and other purposes.

The values of other income sources purchased from poultry income can be estimated roughly considering the common prices of animals and items in the areas under the study.

The total income used for purchasing above animals is Afs.1085305 (USD 15960), while the amount spent for animals is Afs.1030200 (USD 15150). The future value expected from these animals can be estimated as Afs.15791200, which equals to USD 232223. This figure is enough to the 15% of beneficiaries to take next step to build into the enabling environment and improved livelihood.

The rearing of broilers is mostly practiced in Nahri Shahi district which is located close to Mazar-i-Sharif city, where there is good market for broiler, while the pullets(layer) is practiced in some villages of all targeted districts and is being expanded to other districts. The pullets are produced by the beneficiaries through the improved natural hatching and or purchased day old chicks form big suppliers, rear them up to one or two months and then sold to the group members and other interested villagers. About more than 50% VGLs are actively involved in this business. The pullets produced and reared through natural hatching are mostly retained for the replacement of old stock and the surplus is sold to the interested village women and group members. The ratio of broiler and pullets rearing is shown in the bellow table:

Table - The ratio of broiler and pullets rearing

	Broiler	Pullets(layer)	Total
Percentage	77%	23%	100%
Number	5631	1683	7314

The business of pullets/broiler rearing is mainly developed by the VGLs. The day old chicks are purchased from the big suppliers and reared up to one or two months and then sold to the villagers or market. The pullets are sold only to the group members and other interested village women.

Purchasing of tailoring, embroidery and other machines from poultry income is more common among rural women. Purchasing of total number of 25 machines from poultry income was found in this study. Even, the cotton processing machine purchased from poultry income was also reported, the story of which is presented as bellow:

From 15 layers Up-to Cotton Processing Machine:

A woman beneficiary in Arabha village of Nahri shahi district, who received 15 layers in 2010, opened a street shop by Afs.7000 saving from eggs in 2013, she could managed to invest Afs. 80000 from the street shop and replace it into Cotton Processing Machine in 2015, which is providing more than Afs.150000/year as net income to her family. There are many such cases, the samples of which are collected and analyzed in this field study.

The Tailoring and Embroidery also create good income for rural women through sewing the cloths and beautiful handicrafts as per the demand of the villagers and customers.

Conclusions:

1. 
   In general, most of the Women Village Group Leaders (VGLs) initiated good poultry business from the poultry income and now they are considered as the leading women in family poultry development for their relevant groups.
   
2. 
   The creation of other income sources from family poultry income is the next step for Afghan rural women/families to rise above the poverty line,
   
3. 
   The development of integrated livestock raising and keeping through backyard poultry income further enhance the income and food security in rural areas,
   
4. 
   The active participation of rural women in livestock development is further encouraged,
   
5. 
   The study shows generally the positive impacts of family poultry on livelihood, income and food security of rural farming families,
   
6. 
   The possibilities and opportunities for the poor rural women/families to take the next step should be built, encouraged, initiated and practiced into the enabling environment by all the involved institutions working in backyard poultry development in Afghanistan.