Rome, Italy
August 6, 2007
Afghanistan’s cereals production
has doubled in the six years since the ouster of the Taliban
regime, according to FAO’s
latest production figures.
Despite the continuing tense security environment, FAO forecasts
the country’s cereals output will reach 4.6million tonnes in
2007, more than twice the 2001 level of 2.0 million tonnes. This
would represent a 700 000-tonne increase over 2006 production
but a reduction of nearly the same amount from 2005’s
near-record of 5.3 million tonnes.
On the basis of the harvest forecast, Afghanistan may need to
import no more than 700 000 tonnes of cereals in the 2007/08
marketing season to cover its total requirements. Of this, 600
000 tonnes would come from commercial purchase on world markets,
with the remainder provided as food aid. This compares with
total cereal imports of some 1.5 million tonnes at the start of
the decade, of which food aid accounted for more than 20
percent.
Development efforts
Afghanistan’s success with cereals stems largely from several
consecutive years of generally favourable weather, but also from
ongoing development efforts by a number of agencies and
organizations, including FAO, which employs 400 staff in the
country. Current projects include seed industry development,
milk production, sugar industry rehabilitation, market
information systems, food security and nutrition, bird flu
prevention and poppy substitution.
FAO supported projects have already rehabilitated irrigation
systems covering 350 000 hectares of cropland and increased milk
production by 3 200 hectolitres per year.
Of special importance is the seed project, which benefits from
€16 million of financing from the European Union over the
2003-2011 period, and which, building on previous emergency and
rehabilitation interventions, has helped to create a commercial
Afghani seed industry. In 2006 the sector produced 4,000 tonnes
of seed – mostly high-yielding, disease-tolerant wheat seed.
After two cropping seasons the private sector is now the leading
producer of quality seed in Afghanistan. Varieties which FAO
helped release now cover over 50 percent of wheat-growing areas. |
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