Migration has been reduced thanks to the training provided to farmers, which has increased their agricultural production by adopting advanced water supply techniques in their farms.

Khush-e-Rabat Sangi is one of the most remote places in Herat province. The majority of the population are vulnerable smallholder farmers who often face food shortages. According to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) figures in March 2021, 20 percent of the population in Herat province is severely food insecure.

Inadequate irrigation infrastructure and mismanagement of water distribution were the major challenges that Afghan farmers faced in this area. The temporary and traditional water intake built by the farmers have frequently been washed away, and because of the poor conveyance system, farmers did not have a reliable water supply to their fields. This issue had severely constrained agricultural production and made farmers highly vulnerable to extreme weather shocks such as drought.

The agricultural production obtained from lands used to be sufficient for only four months. As for the rest of the year, farmers had to migrate for wage labour to make a livelihood for their family, specifically to the neighbouring countries.

Thanks to the generous funding of Japan, FAO has been able to assist the most vulnerable farmers in the western region of Afghanistan to get access to irrigation canals, improve agricultural production of their farms and find a sustainable income within their own communities.

The story of Jalali, a smallholder farmer

“To get an Iranian visa was difficult and costly; therefore, I had to risk my life and travel through illegal routes. That was probably the toughest period of my life,” remembers Jalali.

Jalali, 35, is a smallholder farmer and the only breadwinner in a family of 12. He owns one jerib of land on which he grows wheat seed and vegetables but the produce he was getting from his land was not enough the cover all the household expenses. Life was not easy for him. He did not have a sustainable job to support his family; therefore, he was forced to migrate to Iran to get a seasonal job.

FAO’s assistance provided a job opportunity for him as a daily wage labourer in the construction of an irrigation canal in Shah Mashhad. From the day he started working with this project, his life turned upside down. “I earn AFN 350 per day (equal to USD 5) which means that I have already earned AFN 84 000 (equal to USD 1 100) so far. Thanks to this income, I bought four goats, which are a sustainable source of income,” said Jalali.

With the improvement in water delivery on the agricultural lands, Jalali has been able to improve his agricultural production. He is now able to support the livelihood of his family, and he can afford to send his children to school. Through this FAO project, he has acquired the construction skills that will help him continue his work in this field as an alternate source of livelihood.

 Creating job opportunities to prevent illegal migration

The implementation of this project has brought new hopes to the lives of these vulnerable smallholder farmers and on the one hand, it has rehabilitated the irrigation schemes that will improve the supply of water to the farmlands. On the other hand, it has created employment opportunities for the local communities by training them with the required construction skills, as well as engaging locals in Cash-for-Work activities related to the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation canals.

These activities will in turn enhance the livelihoods of the local communities and reduce illegal migration to the neighbouring countries. The project is expected to create jobs for over 7 000 workers and train them with the required construction skills.

The project intervention also includes rehabilitation of intake structure, canal reshaping, and lining works, as well as retaining wall and cross drainage structures.