USAID is helping farmers in Ghor Province, Afghanistan, improve how they identify potato seeds (A), sort and store them (B), plant them (C), and harvest them (D), reducing the risk of crop loss at every step. Photo Credit: Catholic Relief Services
In this installment of USAID’s Pounds of Prevention series, we take a look at how USAID—through its partnership with Catholic Relief Services— is helping vulnerable farmers reduce post-harvest losses as a result of poor storage conditions. We focus on western Afghanistan, where the potato plays a key role in nourishing families through the harsh winter months. In the traditional-style potato storage pit, farmers lost up to half of their potato seeds to rot due to poor ventilation. Read on to learn how, with just a few modifications to the pit design, losses have decreased from 50 percent to just 5 percent.
I agree that the development of a USAID/Catholic Relief Services to help Western Afghanistan’s vulnerable farmers reduce post-harvest losses is an excellent idea which has the potential to help ease tension in the country where more than 40% of young men were unemployed in 2008 and most living in poverty have no choice than to join insurgent groups or engage in farming.
Though the article certainly shows the advantages of such a program, like the fact that seed losses have decreased from 50 percent to just 5 percent, it entirely left out the subject of its budget. However, I would not only be interested in learning what USAID is spending on the endeavor but the specifics of how the program was implementedand what “few modifications” were made to pit design.
sort and store them (B), plant them (C), and harvest them (D), reducing the risk of crop loss at every step
I think same amelia Marmo Because If they jobless they don’ have choice They need to join the insurgent group.