Impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of agriculture extension services on transition from poppy to saffron in Pashtun Zarghun district of Afghanistan. A Final Research Project Submitted to Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Management of Development with specialization in Training Rural Extension and Transformation Research location Pashtun Zarghun district, Herat, Afghanistan By Ramin Nabizadah September 2010 Wageningen, The Netherlands © Copyright Ramin Nabizadah, 2010. All rights reserved PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this research project in partial of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree, I agree that the Library of the University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this research project in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by Larenstein Director of Research. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this research project or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my research project. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this research project in whole or part should be addressed to: Director of Research Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences Part of Wageningen UR P.O. Box 411 6700A K, Wageningen The Netherlands Tel:31317486230 Fax:31317484884 ii ABSTRACT This study intends to explore the impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of agriculture extension services on transition from poppy to saffron in Pashtun Zarghun district. The term extension has been used in highly variable connotes with different meaning at different context. Here in this study the term extension is used as a professional communication intervention deployed by and institution to induce change in a voluntary behaviour with a presumed public or collective utility. Currently that the cultivation and production of poppy is significantly increased in Afghanistan and changed to a global problem, the agriculture extension sector can play an important role in introducing alternative crops replace poppy. Considering the problem of poppy cultivation in Pashtun Zarghun district, DACAAR has worked on the extension of saffron as and alternative crop and implemented some projects aimed to the identification of alternative source of livelihood for the farmers who have been financially depended on poppy cultivation before. DACAAR has also established three saffron produces’ associations in 2005 and provided saffron corm for some of the members of these associations. But the women have formed the fourth association of their own in 2007. The main objective of this study is to identify and explore the impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of extension services for transition from poppy to saffron. For realizing the objective of this study the researcher used desk study as well as interviews and focus group discussions with the farmer group in the field. Interviews and focus group discussions were carried out by using open ended questions with farmers, saffron associations’ members including women saffron association. The finding of this research shows that different reasons have contributed for transition from poppy to saffron. Around 50% of men and women farmers have argued that the reason for changing from poppy to saffron was the high income delivered by saffron in compare to the poppy. Some other farmers have reported that the reasons for referring to saffron cultivation are the government pressure on farmers who are growing poppy and the high risk of poppy cultivation and production. They have further argued that saffron is a drought resistance crop which only needs 2 irrigations during the flowering season but it does not compete with irrigation needs of other crops. Regarding to the challenges, the extension workers stated that lack of communication and transportation facilities, shortage of field level extension worker and low level of salaries are the most important challenges faced by the extension workers in Pashtun Zarghun district. 39% of the men farmers have stated that in 2005 when they started cultivation of saffron, they had many technical problems with cultivation, harvesting and processing of saffron. They have also argued that the other challenges that they are facing are availability of saffron corm, insufficient extension and support services. The women farmers have stated that beside all the mention challenges they are also faced to the cultural constraints for participating in outdoor activities. Despite all the mentioned challenges faced by the extension workers and farmers the saffron cultivation and production have significantly increased since 2005. In 2005 the total area under saffron cultivation in this district was about 30 hectares which has increased to 50 ha in 2006; currently there are 150 hectares of land under saffron cultivation in this district. The area under poppy cultivation in 2004 to 2005 was over 180 hectares which is currently decreased to the zero and there are 800 saffron grower farmers divided in 4 associations in this district. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my respective supervisor, Mr. Marco Verschuur for his important support from the very early stage of this thesis. Your encouraging and invaluable guidance and supervision have provided a good basis for the present thesis. Without your guidance a successful completion of this research would have not been possible. I would also like to thank my course coordinator Mrs. Loes Witteveen for her kind inspiration, stimulating suggestions, encouragement and proper guideline throughout the course has helped me to carry out this study. I am also thankful for all lecturers of Van Hall Larenstein University specially Dr. Adnan Koucher, Mrs. Ivonne de Moor and Dr. Robert Baars for their kind and intellectual supports which have helped me to carry out this thesis. I’m also indebted to the Government of Netherlands, Government of Afghanistan for their financial support which gives me the possibility to complete my master degree in this renowned University. I would like to give a special thank to the kind staff of agriculture extension department of Herat province and Saffron Producers’ Associations and Afghan Saffron Company for their assistance in carrying out the interviews. I am also thankful of DACAAR’s extension workers and other staff for their kind collaborations during my field work and data collection in Pashtun Zarghun district. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v LIST OF FIGURES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii LIST OF TABLES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii ABBREVIATIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- viii 1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Background of Afghanistan -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.2 Herat Province --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 1.3 Problem background ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 1.4 Problem statement --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 1.5 Key concepts ------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.6 Research Strategy/Framework: ---------------------------------------------------------- 8 1.7 Location of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 2. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ------------------------------------------------------- 10 2.1 Review of Agriculture Extension System in Afghanistan ---------------------- 10 2.2 Systems of land tenancy in Pashtun Zarghun ------------------------------------ 11 2.3 Why saffron for poppy alternative ----------------------------------------------------- 12 2.4 Role of women in harvesting and post harvesting of saffron ---------------- 13 2.5 Saffron Chain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 2.6 Challenges of saffron production ----------------------------------------------------- 18 3. CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS --------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 3.1 Extension workers ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 3.2 The farmers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22 3.3 Men Saffron Producers’ Associations ----------------------------------------------- 22 3.3.1 Male farmers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------23 3.3.2 Rawandan Women Saffron producers’ Association -------------------------- 27 3.3.3 Female farmers -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 3.4 Saffron trader-------------