Potato Cellars.
20 June 2008
By Warrant Officer Ross Connochie
18 June 2008 saw the symbolic opening, by Bamyan Provincial Governor Habiba Sarabi, of fifty potato storage cellars throughout the Bamyan district. The cellars were the result of a joint project between the Afghanistan Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
At first the provision of storage cellars may not seem to be a priority, but the importance becomes apparent when you appreciate the hardships faced by the farmers of Bamyan.
Bamyan is located in one of the most mountainous, isolated, and barren areas of central Afghanistan. Altitude and water shortage aside, agriculture is constrained by a other factors including a short growing season, poor access to markets, and a lack of proper storage facilities.
Agriculture is mainly subsistence-oriented and represents the major source of income for more than four-fifths of households. Importantly, the entire agrarian economy is dependant on a few crops such as wheat and potatoes. In Afghanistan the potato is unique to Bamyan. Potato cultivation started fifty years ago in parts of Bamyan centre and has since spread to other districts.
Storage facilities in Bamyan are important as the potato crop is harvested well after neighbouring districts, meaning market prices are at their lowest. As it is impractical to send potatoes to market when prices are low, what cannot be eaten, rots.
Also, to ensure their survival over the winter months, seed potatoes, vital for next year’s crop, also require appropriate storage.
The provision of storage facilities will not only ensure sufficient seed is available for next year, they will also enable farmers to maximise the profit from their crop by managing the supply of potatoes to market when the demand and therefore prices are high.
Ends