1

Improved Rural Incomes from Better Forage Production and Sales of Milk

Products

Collaborators

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food

Macaulay Research Consultancy Services

Aga Khan Foundation

Goal

Profitable alternative livelihoods for livestock-owing households in poppy

growing areas of Afghanistan

Purpose

Efficient use of rain-fed and irrigated arable land for forage and milk

production

2

Project Components

• Partnerships

• Improving fodder production

• Improving livestock feeding

• Improving milk production/processing

• Capacity building

Communities (9) and households (400)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

BalaiAsia

S2

Mataki

Logari

Shinwari

Ghorbani

Saraki Mamorin

Saraki Atiq

Kotiha

Saraki Awal

Participating Households

3

Partnerships for implementation

Partnerships for implementation

4

Partnerships for implementation

Partnerships for implementation

5

Partnerships for implementation

Partnerships for implementation

6

Partnerships for implementation

Partnerships for implementation

7

Improved milk production and processing

Improved fodder crops and management options demonstrated

• New forage crops varieties tested - 14 alfalfa, 9 clover, 4 grasspea, 6vetch, 2 oats, 33 sorghum, 20 cowpea.

• Agronomic management options to improve fodder yields tested – households, 5 villages: seeding rates, manure, in-organic fertilizer.

• Seeds production enhanced – 3 contract farmers; alfalfa, berseem, oats .

8

Forage improvement

Forage improvement - clovers

9

10

11

Green fodder yield - Trifolium, 2nd cut

0

20

40

60

80

T. pillulare

T. che

rleri

T. h

aus

sken

chii

T. r

esup

inatum

T. a

ngu

stifo

lium

T. resu

pina

tum (Lo

cal)

T. a

lexa

ndrin

um cv.

Mas

skaw

i

T. s

cab

rum

T. alexa

ndrin

um c

v. A

gaiti

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/ha)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Sward

height (cm

)

Yield Height

12

Green fodder yield - Trifolium, 1st cut

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

T. pillulare

T. alexandrinum

cv. Agaiti

T. cherleri

T. resupinatum (Local)

T. hausskenchii

T. resupinatum

T. angustifolium

T. scabrum

T. alexandrinum

cv. Masskawi

Green fodder (m

t/ha)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Sward height (cm)

Yield Height

Green fodder yield - Trifolium, 3rd cut

0

10

20

30

40

50

T. pillulare

T. cherleri

T. hausskenchii

T. alexandrinum cv. Masskawi

Green fodder (t/ha)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Sward height (cm)

Yield Height

13

Green fodder yield - Trifolium, 4th cut

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

T. cherleri

T. hausskenchii

T. pillulare

Green fodder (t/ha)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Sward height (cm)

Yield Height

Seed yield - Trifolium species

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2

T. ch

erleri

T. ha

ussken

chi

T. pillu

lare

Seed

(t/ha)

14

Forage improvement - oats

Avena sativa varieties

1700

1800

1900

2000

2100

PD-2 Scott

Variety

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/h

a)

15

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

T. re

supin

atum

T. an

gusti

foliu

m

T. sca

brum

T. pi

llular

e

T. al

exan

drium

cv M

aska

wi

T. re

supin

atum cv

Loca

l

T. ha

ussk

enctii

T. pu

rpure

um

T. al

exan

drium

cv Aga

iti

T. ch

erleri

Fres

h fo

dder

(kg/

ha)

Early Oats Late Oats

Forage improvement - alfalfa

16

2.312.420.762.222.52.62SE6.486.754.916.196.697.33LSD26.218.919.428.432.540.1Mean

322021354049CU F

222018294047Aleppo-535302122313546Aleppo-597231720273545Verdor261517303442Legend332626293442Prime241612293340Aleppo-54

212220263240Barlydia291922283139M eldor251922283038Sequel262120292937Campagnola271918242936K ysary

261316272734Scept re231617262626Local654321

CutsVariet y

Green fodder yield ( t /ha) of alfalfa - Baghlan

Alfalfa green fodder yield - average of six cuts

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Loca

l

Sce

ptre

Kys

ary

Ale

ppo-

54

Lege

nd

Barly

dia

Cam

pagn

ola

Ver

dor

Mel

dor

Seq

uel

Ale

ppo-

535

Ale

ppo-

597

Prim

e

CUF

Fodd

er y

ield

(mt/h

a)

17

Lathyrus sativus lines

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Local-vetch

527 519 445 475

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/h

a)

0

20

40

60

80

Hei

ght (

cm)

Yield Height

Vicia sativa lines

5000

5500

6000

6500

7000

2556 Local 2604

Vicia sativa lines

Gre

en fo

dder

yie

ld

(t/ha

)

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

Hei

ght (

cm)

Green fodder Height

Testing new fodder crops – Common vetch

18

Testing new fodder crops – Common vetch

Vicia narbonensis lines

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

2651 2383 2380 Local-vetch

Vicia narbonensis lines and local-vetch

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/h

a)

Forage improvement - sorghum

19

Sorghum varieties vary in regrowth fodder yield- average of 3 cu ts

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

ICS

AR-9

3034

Loca

l-Afg

han

Loca

l-Syr

ian

PSV-

16IC

SV-

574

DG

-652

39IC

SV-

9304

6PS

V-30

PVK-

801

PSV-

12S

-35

PSV-

5PS

V-2

PSV-

3PS

V-4

FH-4

8A-

2267

-2G

D-6

5195

GD

-651

22IC

SV-

745

PSV-

20FM

-147

ICS

V-70

0G

D-6

5130

DG

-651

74-2

PSV-

19B

-24

ICS

V-96

143

NTJ

-2G

D-6

5118

Fod

der

yiel

d (g

/sta

nd)

0

40

80

120

160

200

Sta

nd h

eigh

t (cm

)

Fodder Height

Early-maturing cowpeas: grain and straw yields

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

IT-9

8K-2

05-8

IT-9

8K-5

06-1

IT-0

0K-9

01-5

IT-9

3K-4

52-1

Bag

hlan

-Loc

al

IT-9

6D-6

10

Syr

ian-

Loca

l

IT-9

9K-3

16-2

IT-9

9K-4

91-7

IT98

K-4

91-4

IT-0

0K-8

98-5

IT-9

8K-5

89-2

IT-9

7K-5

68-1

8

IT-9

9K-1

122

IT-9

9K-5

29-1

Yie

ld (k

g D

M/h

a)

Grain Straw Total

Forage improvement - cowpeas

20

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

21

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

Seed rate affects berseem yield on-farm

0 1000 2000 3000 40 00

45

35

25

Seed

rate

(kg/

ha)

Green fodder yield (kg/ha)

Seed rat e affect s alfalfa fodder yield

0 1000 2000 3000

45

35

25

Seed

rate

(kg/

ha)

Green fodder yield (kg/ha)

On-farm demonstration – seeding rate

Farmer’srate

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

22

Manuring rate affects alfafa fodder yield, on-farm

0 500 1000 1500 2000

3

6

9

Man

urin

g ra

te (t

/ha)

Green fodder yield (kg/ha)

Farmer’srate

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

Fig. 14. Phosphorus fertilizer increases fodder yield: alfalfa

010203040

50 100 200

Phosphorus (kg/ha)

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/

ha)

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

23

Manure promotes higher alfafa fodder yield

0

5

10

15

20

3 6 9

Manure application rate (kg/ha)

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/h

a)

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

Manure with phoshorus increases alfalfa and berseem fodder y ield

05

1015202530

Manure (3t/ha) Manure + 50 kg P/ha Manure + 100 kgP/ha

Gre

en fo

dder

(t/h

a)

Alfalf a Berseem

Forage improvement: on-farm testing

24

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

25

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

26

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

27

28

29

30

31

Machine chopping saves farmers time

0

4

8

12

16

Hand chopping Machinechopping

Fodd

er le

ngth

(cm

)

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

Machine chopping of fodder saves time

0

20

40

60

80

100

Hand chopping Machine chopping

Fodd

er c

hopp

ing

time

(min

)

Improved feeding: on-farm testing

32

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2

SarqkiKhan

Ghorbandi SarakiMammorin

Shinwari

Dai

ly m

ilk in

crea

se (l

/cow

Whole-maize fodder (Control) Chopped-maize fodder

Chopping maize fodder improves milk yield

Improved milk processing

• Document local milk processing practices.

• Established women’s association.

• Identify constraints

• Train women – milk hygiene

• Supply improved churners

• Supply gloves

• Supply cylinders

33

Improved milk production and processing

34

35

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

36

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

37

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

38

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

39

40

41

Improved milk production and processing

Improved churner reduces women labour

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Local churner Improvedchurner

Chu

rnin

g tim

e (m

in)

42

Improved churner increases butter output

0200400600800

1000

Local churner Improvedchurner

But

ter (

g/kg

you

ghur

t)

43

Improved milk production and processing

44

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

45

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

46

Improved milk production and processing

Improved milk production and processing

47

Manure processing for fuel

Manure processing for fuel

48

Manure processing for fuel

Knowledge exchanged and skills of partners improved

• Farmers’ (men) associations – 400 men

• Women’s associations – 400 households

• Extension officers trained - Ministry of Agriculture – Baghlan, NGOs

• Students trained - Baghlan & Tahar Univ.

• Computer skilled upgraded – Univ. of Baghlan & Department of Women Affairs

49

Knowledge exchange

Knowledge exchange

50

Knowledge exchange

Knowledge exchange

51

Knowledge exchange

Knowledge exchange

52

Conclusions….significant progress and impa

akeholder partnerships

• Improved fodder production.

• Better feeding to increase milk .

• Better milk processing.

• Knowledge transfer.

• Skills and capacity building improved.

Thank you