IDEA-NEW - Strengthening of Livestock Production in North-Central of Afghanistan

The two-years IDEA-NEW livestock project has started 1st of April 2010 on a budget of almost US$ 2 million. Primary targeted

beneficiaries are farmers in Balkh, Samangan, Sari Pol, Jawzjan and Faryab provinces. They will experience the advantage of

improved access to veterinary services as well as enhanced economic growth thanks to the increasing productivity of their animals

and the development of livestock value chains.

IDEA-NEW (Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North) is an initiative of USAID to eliminate the dependence of Afghan

farmers on the opium poppy economy by offering profitable alternatives. One of the alternatives is livestock keeping, which has

been an important source of food, produce and income for many Afghan families for centuries. Livestock productivity is, however,

very low due to disease, lack of winter feed, poor herd management and inefficient harvesting of products as wool and cashmere.

The IDEA-NEW livestock project focuses on four objectives:

• Improved access of all livestock owners to quality animal health care services
• Greater livestock productivity
• Strengthening of the links between public and private veterinary sectors
• Enhanced economic growth thanks to the development of value chains for livestock products like cashmere and karakul.

To reach these goals, DCA-VET will establish 15 new veterinary field units (VFUs) for which 15 new paravets will be trained. A large

marketing campaign will create wider awareness of the advantages of visiting the VFUs for professional animal health care and the

use of quality vaccines and medicines.  For animal health care in more remote areas around 60 basic veterinary workers will be trained.

Through extension campaigns the VFU staff will promote special herd health programs. These programs will teach the farmers how to

reduce livestock mortality, enhance fertility and health, and increase yields of animal products like meat, milk, eggs, cashmere andkarakul.

Around 35,000 farmers will be facilitated with short meetings on herd health improvement each year. Continuing education to VFU staff

will improve the quality of veterinary care and extension to the farmers.

Public and private veterinary sectors have to work closely together. The VFU staff reports disease outbreaks to the public authorities,

thereby enabling the early interventions to control highly contagious diseases. Government can contract the VFUs also to perform

disease surveillance.

VFU staff will be trained in this disease surveillance, while public veterinarians will be trained to enhance their skills.

Around 70% of the Afghan farmers are still not aware of the value of cashmere. Under the USAID-funded ASAP project DCA-VET already

developed a herd health plan for cashmere producing goats. DCA will continue to develop this important value chain. The ultimate goal

is to reach all goat owning farmers in the five northern provinces.

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latest revision 23 June 2010