By Alkesh Sharma, IANS,
Chandigarh : Hoping to bring about a green revolution in their country after the years of turmoil and war, Afghanistan farmers and agri-experts are looking forward to working with their Indian counterparts and making use of Indian technology.
“We invite Indian farmers to participate in the ‘International Agfair 2011’ at Kabul next year. Indian has a developed agriculture industry and we want to have the same in our country with the help of Indian farmers and corporates,” Khaliullah Stanekzai, manager of the Kabul-based Badam Bagh Farm, told IANS.
Stanekzai was here with a delegation of farmers, led by Afghan Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi, to participate in Agro Tech 2010 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from Dec 3 to 6.
“Our trip to India was very useful as we learned about the usage of technology in enhancing both quality and quantity of the crop yield. We also learned about the greenhouse technology that is very useful in producing vegetables as, most of the time, temperatures in Afghanistan are very low,” said Stanekzai.
Hedayatullah Omerkhail, president of Afghanistan-based Abdul Wakil Omerkhail Farmer’s Association, told IANS: “Afghanistan is basically a land of farmers and 80 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture. We want Indian investors to come to our country and invest in technology so that we can produce more and return it back to them through exports. We have the potential but not the resources.”
“Currently, we are exporting walnuts, raisins, apricot, cherries and fruits to many Asian countries but the usage of technology in agriculture is nil. We want to shift our exports to processed food rather than primary agriculture produce,” he said.
According to Afghan official records, only 1.8 million hectares of the eight million hectares of agricultural land in Afghanistan is currently under irrigation. There is therefore vast scope for new farmers and farm-equipment companies to venture into this landlocked country of south-central Asia.
Afghanistan needs around 10,000 farmers and agri-experts in the next one year. To attract investors, their government is giving land on lease for 90 years to new investors.
“India is a self-sufficient country and is also exporting food grains to other countries. We can replicate the same success model and bring about green revolution in Afghanistan,” said Mahbooba Jamal Waizi, CEO of Afghan Women Business Council.
“Agro Tech was a good opportunity for us and we came to know how Indian farmers are working. We want Indian farmers to come to Afghanistan to share their knowledge and expertise with us and they can also earn good returns by investing in the farm sector there. Our government is also very supportive in this initiative,” said Waizi.
Interactive sessions were also held between the farmers of both countries at Agro Tech.
Young Indian farmers showed keen interest in investing in Afghanistan.
“Vast patches of fertile land are lying vacant in Afghanistan. I would go there next year to evaluate the situation and to explore farming potential. If I find everything in place then I would take land on lease basis and start wheat cultivation there,” Arundeep Sidhu, a Hoshiarpur-based farmer, told IANS.