EUROPEAN UNION “Support to the Development of Agriculture Private Sector: Perennial Horticulture” (HPS) Project DCI-ASIE/2013/335-321 (Europe Aid/133-872/L/ACT/AF) TH 5 QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT, 01 JANUARY - 31 MARCH 2015 HPS/SO2 Adaptive Reasearch team with Int’l Consulatants in Badam Bagh HPS 5th Quarterly Report, 08-May-15 Key acronyms: AAIDO Afghan Almond Industry Development Organization ANHDO Afghan National Horticulture Development Organization ANNGO Afghan National Nursery Grower Organization BoD Board of Directors CC Coordination Committee CHAMP Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Program CPN Certified Production Nursery CPG Citrus Promotion Group CTV Citrus Tristeza Virus FFS Farmer Field School FH PHDC Field Horticulturist FM SO1 Field Manager GA General Assembly IDEA-NEW Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for North, East, and West MAIL Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock MSN Mother Stock Nursery NC National Collection NGA Nursery Growers Association NHLP National Horticulture and Livestock Program NNGA Nangarhar Nursery Growers Association NVAC Nangarhar Valley Agricultural Company (ex-NVDA) NVDA Nangarhar Valley Development Association PBTL Plant Bio Technology Laboratory (Badam Bagh) PHDPII Perennial Horticulture Development Program PHDC Perennial Horticulture Development Center PPP Public Private Partnership project agreement RI Relief International SAGAL Strengthening Afghan Governance and Livelihoods SO Specific Objective TA Technical Assistance TL Team Leader ToT Training of Trainers VC Value Chain This programme is funded by the European Union 2 | Page of 3 2 Pages HPS 5th Quarterly Report, 08-May-15 1. Executive Summary of the Quarterly Activities: SO1 activities included continues (in close coordination with PHDPII TA) institutional support to ANNGO regarding the review of the ANNGO Bylaw. A Legal Advisor Nat’l Consultant provided ANNGO BoDs and the NGA chairmen with all the necessary capacity building on legal issues and facilitated the revision process. ANNGO board members finally endorsed the revised Bylaw on 04FEB15 during the General Assembly. ANNGO will undertake the necessary further steps to register it with the relevant ministries. We conducted a survey of the nursery companies that are not currently operating under the ANNGO umbrella. The assessment was completed by March 2015 resulting to a list of seventeen (17) potential ANNGO new members. We will coordinate closely with ANNGO on this and present ANNGO with our findings / recommendations that shall enable them to finally decide on their future potential expansion. In regards to ANNGO annual (2015) catalogue of certified fruit trees species and varieties; ANNGO finalized the translation in Dari and Pashtu in January. However, printing of the catalogue was postponed for after the General Assembly in order to include any potential new ANNGO board members. HPS/SO1 accepted ANNGO request to undertake the printing costs. By the end of the reporting period, the catalogue was still under printing. Twenty five (25) SO1 Field Managers (FMs) are recruited (and seconded to ANNGO) to support the NGAs and their national representative organization ANNGO in implementing the certification scheme as well as provide MSNs and production nurseries with technical support and advice. In cooperation with ANNGO, the Quarterly Technical Training for fifteen (15) FMs, interns and other ANNGO technical staff was organized in Jalalabad during the period 29–31MAR15. The training costs were facilitated by HPS as per ANNGO request. ANNGO requested the support of HPS/SO1 to finance a radio announcement for the upcoming selling season. Arman Radio (TOLO Group) was selected; however, they broadcasted the radio announcement only for 4 days (19–22MAR-15) instead of the total 10 days contracted. The radio was closed in regards to registration issues and we decided to look for an alternative radio station. Description of the National Collection and the adaptive research activities continued in the PHDCs (under the MAIL Directorate of Research authority and PHDPII TA supervision) with the continuous support of the SO2 team. The SO2 Horticultural Research Specialist Int'l Consultant (Gregory Cullen) was mobilized and together with the rest of the team engaged in initiating the late winter/early spring activities in the planned adaptive research programmes 2014/2015, coordination of activities with the PHDCs. Completion of the registers for the different species in the national collections remained the priority in the technical programmes (including HPS) under the MAIL Directorate of Research authority and PHDPII TA supervision. Joint efforts in synergy with the EU/MAIL transition project staff in the preparation of registers for Apricot, Pomegranate, Plum and Cherry with the support/mentoring of HPS/SO2 Horticultural Research Specialist (Gregory Cullen) and PHDP Germplasm Development Expert (Monica Berti) were on-going. Work included the preparation of introductory texts, finalization of variety lists and quality control on data. Relevant register publication should be expected until mid-2015 for Apricot and Pomegranate and by the end of the year for Cherry and Plum pending actual work progress achieved. Essential planning and preparatory work in the Pomology Laboratories involving the relevant EU/MAIL transition project and HPS/SO2 Pomology Lab staff took place with the support of PHDPII Int’l Consultants (Monica Berti and Federico Valori) This was essential to ensure that during the anticipated fruiting season the related pomology analysis laboratory work involving staff from three different projects (EU/MAIL Transition project, HPS and HVP) was sufficient coordinated to avoid duplications and enhance work efficiency. Several meetings took place to share needs and priorities for pomology laboratory work among key stakeholders resulting in selection of species and varieties to be assessed as well as type and repetitions of analysis to be performed. Responsibilities in the laboratory were shared according to experience and role: it was jointly decided as part of an initial working arrangement (to be formalized in the future accordingly) that Faridullah Azizi (Technical Pomology Lab Supervisor, EU/MAIL Transition Project) is the technical supervisor always available for coaching and supporting lab staff; whereas Mohammad Wali Adel (HPS/SO2 Junior Research Assistant) will act as the scientific supervisor because he has more scientific and practical experience. Regarding SO3 team, during January we performed a training activity on hygienic & sanitary and post harvest best practices for our beneficiaries in Dasht-e-Rubat village in Bagram District, Parwan Province and six (6) other villages in Mahmood Raqi District, Kapisa Province. In total, 197 individuals (out of the 230 grape and raisin group members) participated resulting to an attendance ratio of 86%. The farmers This programme is funded by the European Union 3 | Page of 3 2 Pages HPS 5th Quarterly Report, 08-May-15 were very enthusiastic to learn more of the good practices and requested further trainings on management and harvesting best practices. Preparations regarding the development of pilot fresh fruit value chain projects took place with the mobilization of the Horticulture Value Chain Nat’l Consultant (Prof. Ghulam Samadi) to conduct a value chain study focusing on Sweet Cherry and (fresh & dried) Apricot and the Marketing Specialist – Int’l Consultant (Rafiq Sarkar) to support the team develop suitable pilot marketing initiatives with private sector traders focusing on Apricot and Cherry. The SO3 team initiated discussions with relevant fresh fruits traders to link them with the potential producers groups. Moreover, we undertook a survey in Paghman District to identify suitable partners for pilot projects in fresh fruit value chains. The area is suitable for post-harvest related activities and specifically for apricot (fresh and dried), sweet cherry, and apples. Specifically, we identified 46 Apricot farmers, 35 Sweet Cherry farmers and 100 Apple farmers as suitable potential beneficiaries that could form the relevant Growers’ Groups and become partners in pilot projects. In regards to Apricot, activities were conducted in synergy with HVP project staff and there are considerations to proceed with splitting the interventions (and relevant costs) between the different projects with HPS/SO3 focusing on Dried Apricot and HVP/SO3 on Fresh Apricot as per action plans. In the eastern Afghanistan region, the Citrus Value Chain Expert – Int’l Consultant (Gerrit Booyens) was successfully mobilized and conducted a preliminary citrus value chain analysis. His inputs included the identification of a list of suitable citrus producers / traders that could become the Citrus Growers Group (CGG) in the next months. Considerable joint efforts were put on establishing the “characteristics” that the citrus growers / traders should have in order to be selected for the Citrus Growers Group (CGG). This was considered as a first critical step towards the anticipated formation of a Citrus Growers Association (CGA) in the future. Furthermore, he forecasted that due to current nursery production limitations only 500 ha new orchards with recommended citrus varieties could be established by 2017. A production forecast also indicated that the total crop volume can expected to grow from 1,300 tons in 2015 to 9,000 tons by 2020, 44,000 tons by 2025, and is expected to peak at 154,000 tons by 2035. HPS/SO4 team