Women Farmers Organization
(Village Poultry Producer Groups)
By
Mohammad Jafar Emal, National Poultry Advisor, IFAD/RMLSP/MAIL, Kabul, Afghanistan
Backyard poultry development is a significant asset to the rural population of Afghanistan,
contributing to poverty alleviation, food security and enhanced nutritional status, which is especially
important for disadvantaged groups in less-favorable areas of the country.
In Afghanistan small-scale poultry production has a number of comparative advantages, namely:
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It needs less capital and land ownership is not a requirement.
Quick financial returns.
Village women can manage and benefit directly from household poultry.
Besides income generation, provides nutrition supplementation in the form of valuable animal protein and
empowers women.
 Small scale poultry farming units (15-20 birds) require very little hand feeding and can give a fairly handsome
return with bare inexpensive night shelter.
The Government of Afghanistan through the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is promoting
small holder poultry production as a means of poverty alleviation and food security and gives special emphasis to
disadvantaged groups and less favored areas.
The Backyard Poultry development project, funded by IFAD through RMLSP of MAIL, covered and trained 5000
vulnerable rural women in improved family poultry husbandry and organized them in 101 Farmers Organizations
called Village Poultry Producer Groups (VPPGs). The project plays an important role in improved livelihood
through increased income and food security of rural households.
A village Group Leader (VGL) is selected for each VPPG as a facilitator, day-to-day advisor and instructor. Besides,
extra trainings in poultry management, these VGLs receives in kind supports , such as poultry feed, vaccines,
medicines and poultry equipments for creation of working capital.
Habiba is one of 101 VGLs, who support her 14 family members through family poultry and village’s leadership.
Her main responsibilities/activities are:
1. Input-output delivery to her relevant group members through established links with Poultry Services
Suppliers and Veterinary Clinics,
2. Vaccinations and small treatments against reasonable fee,
3. Supplying poultry feed on reasonable commission base,
4. Colleting eggs from her group members and marketing against reasonable commission,
5. Supplying the young stock for replacement of old stock,
6. Conducting seasonal FFFS trainings on winter feeding, natural hatching and poultry health care,
7. Utilization of income from poultry products for other economic activities such as goats and sheep keeping,
embroidery, vendor shops, etc.
8. Up scaling the production potentials of successful producers through linking them with micro-credit sources and
creation of saving banks within the VPPG.
Acronyms:
IFAD: International Fund for Agriculture Development
RMLSP: Rural Microfinance and Livestock Support Program
MAIL: Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock