AFGHANISTAN SEED AND CROP IMPROVEMENT SITUATION

III.AGRICULTURE

III.2. FARMING SYSTEMS AND LAND USE

III.2.1. ARABLE AND AGRICULTURAL LAND

Only some 12% of Afghanistan's land is classified as arable. Use of Afghanistan's land is: arable land: 12%; permanent crops: 0%; permanent pastures: 46%; forests and woodland: 3%; other: 39% (1993 est.). Irrigated land is 30,000 sq km (1993 est.).

Half of the agriculture is reportedly located north of the Hindu Kush Mountains.

III.2.2. NUTRITION AS RELATED TO LAND USE

Wheat provides the bulk of calorie intake, and accounts for about 75% of food grain production. National wheat production was estimated at 2.9 million tons in 1976 (Nyrop & Seekins, cited by Dennis et al.), then 1.7 million tons in 1993 (ICARDA), rising to 2.8 million tons in 1998 (FAO).

A full meal in rural areas often consists only of bread and yogurt. Paddy rice is usually sold by farmers and not retained for family consumption. Maize is used mainly as feed. Potato and various fruit crops are produced for both family consumption and as cash crops. Afghan dried fruits and nuts (mainly almonds and apricots) are eaten by the family, and sold; these accounted for 60% of the world market in 1982, but only 15% in 1990, and probably less now although they are still important sources of foreign exchange. Barley, after wheat, appears to be the most important crop in the rainfed areas, and is used as livestock feed. Traditionally, it occupies about 300,000 ha.

III.2.3. CROPPING

The highlands have some of the most marginalized areas and poorest communities. Crops are grown under harsh conditions, on shallow soils, with minimum inputs and often under severe biotic and abiotic stresses, including cold and drought. Much of central and northern Afghanistan is between 2,000 and 5,000 feet altitude.

III.2.4. FARMING SYSTEMS

Agricultural production is basically small holdings with irrigated cropping, supplemented by livestock. Cropping intensity depends on availability of irrigation water in summer, and the length of the growing season.

Crop rotation is well-understood by farmers. As possible, legumes, animal manure, and chemical fertilizers are used.

The livestock system has 2 parts:

Large animals, cattle and donkeys provide draft animal power, and usually are given supplementary fodder from the irrigated areas.
Small animals, sheep and goats, survive largely by foraging on the sparse rangeland grazing.

These farming systems are highly integrated, with crop by-products (husks, stover, etc.) used for animals, and animal products (milk, meat, wool, hair, hides, manure) used by the farm household.

Sloane lists 7 farming systems which represent a combination of the agro-ecological zones and factors which limit production. These are:

Mixed irrigated and rainfed cropping, relatively large livestock component. Typical location: Shulgara District of Balkh Province.
Intermediate altitude intensive cropping system. Typical area: Nejrab District of Kapisa Province.
Intermediate-low altitude high productivity, double cropping system. Typical location: Mehteriam District of Laghman Province.
High altitude cold area, intensive food cropping system. Typical location: Maydan Shah District of Wardak Province.
Low intensity subsistence cropping and livestock system. Typical location: Qara Bagh District of Ghazni Province.
Large-area mechanized food grains and industrial crop production. Typical location: Nad-I-Ali District of Helmand Province.
Intensive commercial horticulture and cereal cropping. Typical location: Arghandab District of Kandahar Province.

The above farming systems are felt to cover over 95% of irrigated and 85% of rainfed agriculture. Main non-fitting agriculture is in the high-mountain areas of the central plateau and the northeastern mountains. In these areas, agricultural consists of small pockets in an arid landscape. Also not covered are the nomadic livestock people (kuchi) which make up some 7-10% of the population, and are the principal users of the semi-arid lands. In 1999, it was estimated that these nomadic (kuchi) herds made up 30% of the nation's sheep, 39% of goats, 5% of cattle, 54% of horses, 14% of donkeys and 63% of camels.

National percentages of irrigated and rainfed agriculture in the various regions, and the (above) cropping systems typically followed in different regions, are approximately as follows. However, there are many overlaps and localized exceptions (Sloane).

Table 3 (PDF File 55Kb)
Percentages of National Agricultural Areas in Different Major Agro-Ecological Zones