I truly hope this isn't a common practice in Afghanistan, but it was relayed to me by a fellow who volunteers with a group that plants trees in Afghanistan. I believe it to be true as wild as it sounds.
Irrigation canals in Afghanistan have been used much like the trenches of WWI and have been bombed to the point of uselessness for decades. As a result there is a whole generation of Afghanis who don't have a clue about farming. Here's the part that's hard to believe, they thought that honey bees sucked the "energy" out of fruit tree flowers resulting in small fruit or no fruit. To combat this they staged a full on war to destroy wild bee colonies. Poor crops more likely were caused by a lack of pollination. Convincing them otherwise was a major endeavor but hopefully sunk in. Can't always assume that the things we take for granted as common knowledge to apply elsewhere. Bill Fleming Montana State University Western Ag Research Center 580 Quast Ln Corvallis, MT 59828 ________________________________ From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:apple-c...@virtualorchard.net] On Behalf Of Michael Vaughn Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:32 AM To: Apple-Crop Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Apples in Afghanistan I would agree that agriculture leading to more food to eat locally would help any nation. However our government (State Department) might not be the best vehicle for that effort. The last two years the state dep't has supplied afghan opium farmers with wheat seed and fertilizer for acreage trading in hopes they would expand acreage for crops and reduce Opium production. The reports from the UN and other's show the afghan's did in fact reduce the acreage used for Opium. However the fertilizer was used to improve the reduced Opium fields and increase the overall Opium Production (Volume). The wheat was grown in limited production. So the question is how do you reduce the thousand's of years of traditional Opium Production while promoting food based agriculture? Especially at taxpayer expense! On 1/13/10, Bill Shoemaker <wshoe...@illinois.edu<mailto:wshoe...@illinois.edu>> wrote: I have a colleague who just returned from Afganistan. He was very happy with his service there. He feels he's contributing to the effort to build a stable society. They may make more money with drug crops but they have neigbors who need to eat. Bill > Happy New Year to all, > > I read an interesting piece on Reuters News > yesterday. I see that some more US agricultural > advisors will be sent to Afghanistan, though I > wonder if it is realistic to suggest to farmers > there that nuts and apples will give higher returns > than opium. I'm sure that I am preaching to the > converted here when I suggest that apple growing is > hardly a highly profitable venture. > > Con Traas > > > > http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-45331820100112 > > > > KABUL (Reuters) - Interrupted by the occasional > whirring of military helicopters overhead, the U.S. > agriculture chief sipped pomegranate juice with > Afghan farmers, who told him not enough > international aid was getting through. > > Wrapping up a three-day visit to Afghanistan on > Tuesday, Tom Vilsack met the farmers -- representing > pomegranate and apple growers -- at an fruit juice > export plant in Kabul, part funded by the United > States which has made agriculture the biggest > non-security priority in the country. > > Seated outside, the farmers complained of lack of > credit facilities -- something Vilsack is looking > into -- and problems in the entire farming chain, > from acquiring seeds to a lack of refrigeration and > getting goods to market during a war. > > "We hear of pledges of funding but we have not seen > anything yet," said Haji Ghulam Dastageen, an apple > and apricot farmer from Paktia province. "We are > looking forward to getting assistance from the > international community and from the (agriculture) > ministry," he added via a translator. > > Vilsack, who pointed to the U.S.-funded juice > factory behind him as proof of U.S. commitment, > later announced an additional $20 million in aid to > help improve Afghanistan's agriculture ministry > deliver services to farmers. > > "After decades of conflict, Afghanistan lacks many > of the personnel and knowledge resources needed to > deliver much-needed services to its people, more > than 80 percent of whom rely on agriculture for > wages and sustenance," he said at a news conference > announcing the funds. > > Last year, the United States spent about $300 > million on agriculture projects in Afghanistan and > projected spending this year is more than $400 > million. Vilsack also promised to send more U.S. > agricultural advisors. > > The hope is that funds spent bolstering > Afghanistan's agriculture ministry will improve > delivery of services to the country's farmers and > thus boost confidence in central government and draw > support away from the Taliban. > > FARMER-TO-FARMER > > A farm owner himself, Vilsack peppered the Afghan > farmers with questions from how they got their water > to what they needed in terms of credit facilities > and packaging to protect goods currently bruised en > route to market. > > The United States and other allies are looking at a > range of credit options for farmers in the hope they > can wean many from growing opium poppy, which fuels > the Taliban insurgency. > > The goal is to provide up-front funds for wheat but > also higher-value products such as table grapes, > nuts and apples in the hope they will get better > returns than opium. Afghanistan produces nearly all > of the world's opium, used to make heroin. > > "We are looking forward to receiving loans ... we > also want low interest," said Haji Yaseen, another > apple grower from Paktia province. > > "Farmers everywhere want that," laughed Vilsack, a > former governor from the U.S. farming state of Iowa. > > The Obama administration has promised to present a > list of credit options to the Afghan agriculture > ministry by March. The plan is to offer credit > facilities like those given to farmers in the United > States, who get low-interest loans. > > "How do you pay for your imports? Would you use a > banking system?," Vilsack asked the farmers, who all > nodded. > > When U.S. President Barack Obama announced his new > strategy to send in 30,000 more troops to > Afghanistan, he also promised a civilian "surge," > including additional agricultural advisors to > overhaul an industry devastated by decades of war. > > "President Obama ... understands that the future of > your country is on this table," said Vilsack, > pointing to a table laden with nuts, apples and > pomegranates, many of which he sampled. > > "I look forward to going back to Washington with > your messages and to give as much help as we > possibly can," Vilsack told the farmers. "I can > assure you that I'm going to be a consumer of > pomegranates from now on." > > (Editing by Peter Graff and Sanjeev Miglani) > > (c) Thomson Reuters 2010 All rights reserved > > William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops St Charles Horticulture Research Center 535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174 630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <webmas...@virtualorchard.net<mailto:webmas...@virtualorchard.net>>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content. -- Michael D. Vaughn Owner / Manager Pie-In-the-Sky Orchards
