Thousands of Ghazni farmers receive seed, fertilizer, animal feed

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): The World Food Program (WFP) and the Norwegian Committee on Tuesday began distributing improved wheat seeds, chemical fertilizers and animal feed to 16600 farmers in southern Ghazni province.

Officials say the donations are aimed at reaching out to farmers and promoting agriculture in nine districts of Ghazni.

Mir Wali Rufi, program coordinator for the World Food Program (WFP) and the Norwegian Committee, told Pajhwok Afghan News that each farmer was given one bag of improved wheat seed, two bags of black and white chemical fertilizer and animal feed.

He added that for now, the aid would be distributed to farmers in eight districts of Ghazni (Andar, Zana Khan, Muqur, Qarabagh, Abband, Giro, Waghez and Malistan), but would be distributed to farmers in other districts later. .

He said the farmers were identified as eligible as a result of a survey conducted by the Department of Agriculture.

According to Rufi, the distribution of improved seeds and chemical fertilizers will help farmers save their crops from diseases and have higher wheat yields than ever before.

He said the agriculture department’s survey was still ongoing and would be extended to other farmers in the coming days.

Farmers are happy to receive improved seed and fertilizer as well as animal feed.

Khair Mohammad, a farmer from Andar district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he was receiving the aid at a time when the cold winter had begun and farmers were in dire financial straits.

He said many farmers could not afford to buy seeds and fertilizers and hoped that next year there would be a good wheat harvest.

According to him, they have been given two types of improved wheat seeds, one for spring and the other for autumn.

Another farmer, Noor Agha, told Pajhwok Afghan News that due to poverty and economic problems, he could not afford to buy food for his animals and was even forced to sell them.

Ghazni Agriculture Department officials say they are trying to reach out to farmers in all districts of the province.

Maulvi Faiz Ghaznavi, deputy director of the department, told Pajhwok Afghan News a survey was being conducted in the remaining districts of Ghazni to identify deserving farmers.

He said efforts were being made to revitalize Ghazni’s agriculture over the next three years in order to compensate the losses incurred during the war.

This is the first time in recent years that seeds, fertilizers and animal feed have been distributed to thousands of farmers in Ghazni.

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