| Australia
helps Afghanistan produce more food
Australia
will fund a key project to help restore production of
two of Afghanistan's most important food crops - wheat
and maize.
Agricultural
production in Afghanistan has been severely disrupted
following years of conflict and drought, and most seed
reserves destroyed.
Australian
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Chris
Gallus, says the $1 million project is critical to rebuilding
Afghanistan's farming capacity.
One
of the world's leading international agricultural research
centres - the International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Centre - will undertake the two-year project.
Wheat
is the most important food crop and maize the third largest
crop grown in Afghanistan.
Mrs
Gallus says the project is designed to deliver immediate
benefits, as well as improving the quality of seed over
the next two years.
'This
project will build up wheat and maize production through
the provision of seed suitable for local conditions, allowing
crops to be planted and grown immediately,' she said.
Seed
banks ensure that reserve stocks are available for planting
in the following year should the cropping cycle be interrupted
or fail completely.
The
longer-term aim is to identify wheat and maize varieties
best suited to Afghan growing conditions, including varieties
that are resistant to diseases.
The
establishment of on-farm nurseries will allow Afghan farmers
to participate and share their knowledge, along with local
scientists and NGOs working throughout the country.
'This
type of aid involves working with local farmers to increase
their knowledge and capacity to
produce staple food crops,' Mrs Gallus said.
A
similar project has been very successful in boosting crop
production in East Timor after seed supplies of staple
crops were lost in the 1999 conflict.
The
announcement came after the historic Australian visit
of Afghan Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abdullah in mid
November 2002
|
