ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.org
14 September 2006
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Mint Technology Provides Alternative Source of Livelihood
in Afghanistan
H.E. Mr Obaidullah Ramin, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Afghanistan, and Dr Magdy Madkour, ICARDA ADG (International Cooperation) inaugurated the mint water production and training center, Kabul, in March 2006.
Mint is used throughout the world as a reliable remedy for various kinds of digestion-related problems. In Afghanistan, it is popularly used for culinary purposes, but its medicinal value is not well known. However, due to the absence of an extensive health care system, local communities heavily depend on alternative therapies. This offers an opportunity to introduce mint, a locally available and effective herbal remedy, with great potential to generate substantial income.

ICARDA has introduced simple and easily adoptable technology for the production of mint to Afghan farmers through the DFID-funded Research on Alternative Livelihood Fund (RALF) project. The project evaluated and standardized simple technologies with farmers for producing clean and well-packaged mint water. Subsequently, a mint water production and training center was established at the Badam Bagh Research Station, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MAI), Kabul. The trainees include farmers, staff of MAI and NGOs, extension workers, members of women organizations, and agriculture graduates. H.E. Mr Obaidullah Ramin, Minster for Agriculture and Irrigation, inaugurated the center on 19 March 2006.

The project also established a Mint Producers Association (MPA) in each of the target provinces-Helmand, Kunduz, and Nangarhar. It provided mint water production equipment to the MPAs and trained members in production, packaging, and marketing. It also provided attractive tri-lingual (Dari, Pashto, and English) labels and posters to support their marketing efforts.

 The Afghan Ministry of Health has approved the production of mint water using the technology introduced by the project. All the three MPAs are currently producing and marketing mint water in their respective provinces. Marketing data obtained from Kabul, Helmand, and Kunduz show that they make as much as 133% profit from the sales. Several private entrepreneurs and development agencies have approached ICARDA for assistance in establishing similar facilities in other provinces.

The project has achieved significant success in creating awareness about the medicinal uses of mint. Women are being employed as technicians in Helmand and Nangarhar, and more than 1000 housewives have been trained on how to produce mint water at the domestic level. In addition, the project has proved that dry mint could be a successful alternative source of income, especially for women, who make up to 250% profit from selling dry mint. It has provided novel alternative sources of livelihood to Afghan farmers who otherwise depend on income from illicit crops.
  

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
Back