A cool spring and an end to the drought that has plagued the region for several years bode well for young trees as they establish their roots in new orchards. The first monitoring of the 3,000 orchards planted this spring shows over 94% of the trees have sprouted and are growing vigorously!

Last year, drought and unseasonably warm weather was exacerbated by late planting due to delays in finalizing program paperwork. This took a toll, and some some young trees were lost. To help fill the gaps, IFHope donated 40,000 trees and voluntarily provided technical support to the farmers to replace those that died. To date the overall survival rate of 5,000 USAID funded ALP/E orchards on 7,500 acres covering 19 districts in the Eastern Region of Afghanistan is over 85%.

Since the first eucalyptus trees were planted in 2005 through a grant from PAL/GTZ, enthusiasm for woodlot projects has grown even faster than the trees.

As woodlots were established, neighboring farmers saw the potential and asked IFHope to help them start woodlots as well. Over 50 more farmers received trees and technical assistance and now have established woodlots.

The particular variety of poplar tree IFHope is providing is in high demand for building material. Currently hundreds of thousands of these poplar poles are being imported from Pakistan. More woodlot projects are needed to help balance trade and provide families with steady income.

The demand is evident. Already, farmers are being asked if they will sell the two year old trees at a substantial profit. In two more years farmers will be able to sell their trees for over five dollars each. With a rotating harvest, this will provide an annual income rivaling that of poppies!

Heightened conflict in the region and added danger in moving about the country has resulted in regular security warnings. While sobering, it has not deterred IFHope from completing projects and successfully establishing orchards in even the most dangerous regions of the province. "Our strategy has been to keep a low profile" said Jim Du Bruille, Chief of Operations for IFHope. "We work closely with community leaders. We respect the culture and fit in with their local customs".

In June, more than 500 farmers attended ALP/E sponsored vegetable intercropping training sessions provided by IFHope through the Eastern Region Orchard Development Program (ERODP).

IFHope agriculture experts provide technical assistance each month to the 5,000 farmers in the Eastern Region Orchard Development Project (ERODP). Farmers are advised on irrigation, intercropping, fertilizer and use of animal manure, pesticides, lime solution, microelements, mulch, weed control and spring pruning. ERODP is a USAID project designed to provide alternative livelihoods for farmers in the eastern region of Afghanistan.

Field staff visit each farmer on a regular basis, and with recent hot weather and also high winds in some areas, staying on top of irrigation issues is critical. Farmers of demonstration nurseries are visited weekly.

IFHope is a US based Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that recognizes and values the tremendous potential of the people of Afghanistan. IFHope has been in Afghanistan since 1998 working in three interrelated areas: economic development, community empowerment, and education. IFHope values partnership rather than competition or duplication of effort and promotes no political or religious agenda.

IFHope Update is a quarterly electronic publication for friends and associates of IFHope and everyone who cares about the people of Afghanistan. A forwarding link can be found at the bottom of the page. Please pass it along!