Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of agriculture extension services on transition from poppy to saffron in Pashtun Zarghun district of Afghanistan

Auteur : Nabizadah Ramin

Université de soutenance : Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Grade : Master of Management of Development with specialization in Training Rural Extension and Transformation 2010

Résumé partiel
This study intends to explore the impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of agriculture extension services on transition from poppy to saffron in Pashtun Zarghun district. The term extension has been used in highly variable connotes with different meaning at different context. Here in this study the term extension is used as a professional communication intervention deployed by and institution to induce change in a voluntary behaviour with a presumed public or collective utility. Currently that the cultivation and production of poppy is significantly increased in Afghanistan and changed to a global problem, the agriculture extension sector can play an important role in introducing alternative crops replace poppy. Considering the problem of poppy cultivation in Pashtun Zarghun district, DACAAR has worked on the extension of saffron as and alternative crop and implemented some projects aimed to the identification of alternative source of livelihood for the farmers who have been financially depended on poppy cultivation before. DACAAR has also established three saffron produces’ associations in 2005 and provided saffron corm for some of the members of these associations. But the women have formed the fourth association of their own in 2007.

The main objective of this study is to identify and explore the impacts of saffron projects and the effectiveness of extension services for transition from poppy to saffron. For realizing the objective of this study the researcher used desk study as well as interviews and focus group discussions with the farmer group in the field. Interviews and focus group discussions were carried out by using open ended questions with farmers, saffron associations’ members including women saffron association. The finding of this research shows that different reasons have contributed for transition from poppy to saffron. Around 50% of men and women farmers have argued that the reason for changing from poppy to saffron was the high income delivered by saffron in compare to the poppy. Some other farmers have reported that the reasons for referring to saffron cultivation are the government pressure on farmers who are growing poppy and the high risk of poppy cultivation and production. They have further argued that saffron is a drought resistance crop which only needs 2 irrigations during the flowering season but it does not compete with irrigation needs of other crops.

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