Pajhwok report leads to support for women-led cooperative in Jawzjan

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): After Pajhwok Afghan News published a report about a women-led agricultural cooperative in Jawzjan, the Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department of northern Jawzjan province and supporting organisations have now provided machinery and improved seeds to the cooperative.

On September 24, 2025, Pajhwok published a report titled “From home garden to ‘agricultural cooperative’: Successful woman in Jawzjan.”

The cooperative’s founder Saira had called on the government and aid organisations to support the initiative.

She said the cooperative, established with an investment of 231,000 afghanis, currently employs 231 women across various sectors, including horticulture, livestock (dairy production) and crop cultivation.

The main aim of the cooperative, she said, was to create employment opportunities for other women in the village.

Saira had called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and partner organisations to provide training programmes in modern farming skills, agricultural products’ processing and marketing for women farmers in the cooperative.

Zahra, a member of the cooperative, told Pajhwok on Thursday: “After your report was published, the Department of Agriculture provided us with machinery, tools, improved seeds and promised to organise training programmes for us.”

She added that these resources and training opportunities had already had a positive impact on their harvests.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Kheirandish, spokesperson for the department of agriculture, irrigation and livestock in Jawzjan, said supporting women in agriculture was a priority. In recent days, several pieces of machinery and other tools have been provided to the cooperative, and assistance will continue.

He said: “To improve the livelihoods of women farmers in Jawzjan, we have taken various measures, including providing agricultural machinery. These machines aim to make farming easier and more efficient for women.”

Referring to training initiatives, he added: “In addition, we have arranged a variety of training programmes so that women farmers can benefit from modern agricultural methods and increase the productivity of their crops. These programmes cover cultivation techniques, pest and disease management and the use of modern agricultural technologies. We have also engaged donors and organisations to expand educational opportunities.”

He said some supporting organisations have pledged to provide further assistance to the cooperative in the near future.

kk/ma