Dago Village Bakery Woodlot Project
 

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The Dago Village Bakery Project was underway, when sponsors PAL / GTZ saw an opportunity to integrate a horticulture project.  Now IFHope is helping the village raise their own firewood to fuel the oven.

Raising firewood as a cash crop is new for farmers in Afghanistan.  Eucalyptus has long been a primary source of firewood but until now the trees have grown randomly or been gathered from the hillsides where their harvest leads to deforestation.

Ten farmer/landowners in Dago Village, Chaparhar District in Nangarhar Province were selected with the help of the local shura to work with IFHope in establishing eucalyptus fields that will provide firewood for the village and income for the family. IFHope Agriculture staff helped to select growing sites allotting each farmer one to three jeribs for a total of three hectares (15 jeribs) of woodlot.

IFHope provided trees and other inputs as well as technical expertise with regular field visits to the farmers. The trees are now in their first year and becoming established. One fourth of the woodlots will be harvested each year beginning after the third year to provide a steady source of income.  In return for the assistance the farmers receive, 10% of the harvest will go to the village bakery free of charge. The remaining 90% of the harvest will be kept by the farmer/landowner as a return to land and management.  The combined benefit to the village from the 3 hectares of woodlot producing 375 MT of firewood annually is valued at $18,000

    
Left: At the Dago Village Bakery supplies the entire village with bread.  
Middle: IFHope is helping farmers establish eucalyptus fields for firewood. 
Right: Ziarat Gul is the IFHope Agriculture Specialist working in the Chapahar district.

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