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FEATURE STORY
Water Management Improves Crop
Quality in Bamyan Province
February 17, 2016
Story Highlights
Improved water management as a result of the construction of standardized irrigation canals is
leading to better crop yield and quality in Bamyan Province.
The project to standardize canals is one of 13 carried out in the province by the On-Farm Water
Management Project (OFWMP), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
OFWMP, supported by a grant from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), aims to
improve agricultural productivity in project areas by enhancing the efficiency of water use.
BAMYAN CITY, Bamyan Province – Farmer Rajab is walking through his farm and surveying the crops
he will harvest in a few days. He has cultivated potatoes, onions, wheat, and a variety of vegetables on
his 60-hectare farm this year.
Rajab, who lives in the central district of Bamyan city, is optimistic about having a good harvest this
year. A newly reconstructed canal, the Mullah Ghulam canal, in the village is providing efficient and
effective irrigation to his crops. Until recently, Rajab’s farm was irrigated by water from a spring close
by.
“Before the canal was rebuilt, most of our irrigation water was lost in the old canal and we were
ultimately left with an insufficient amount of water for irrigation,” he recalls. “But now more water
reaches our farms, which has increased the amount and quality of our crops.”
Mullah Ghulam canal, which was reconstructed to standard specifications between 2011 and 2013,
irrigates 60 hectares of farmland. A total of 800 meters of the 3,215-meter long canal is paved with
concrete. The project cost of some 1.4 million Afghanis ($21,500) was financed under the On-Farm
Water Management Project (OFWMP), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL).
OFWMP has completed 13 projects in Bamyan Province including five in Bamyan city, five in Saighan
district, and three in Yakawolang district. One of these projects involved building the Mullah Ghulam,
Ligi, and Regsha canals in Surkhdar village.
With a $25 million grant from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), OFWMP aims to
support on-farm water management investments in five regions—Kabul, Baghlan, Herat, Nangarhar,
and Mazar—covering a total of 19,000 hectares. OFWMP works to improve agricultural productivity in
project areas by enhancing the efficiency of water use.
Welcome
The rebuilt canal has made water management easier for farmers, the majority of residents in Surkhdar village, who mainly grow
crops such as potatoes, wheat, and vegetables.
Rumi Consultancy / World Bank
" Now farmers do not face any water shortage throughout the year. They are
able to harvest more crops of higher quality.
"
Abdul
Farmer
Improved standard of living
According to Lala, project engineer of water canal construction in Bamyan Province, the standardized
canals in Surkhdar village have brought many positive changes in the lives of residents. “Most farmers
are now busy farming because of the increase in the amount of irrigation water. They can cultivate
more land than they used to,” he says. “Also, there has been a significant increase in the amount and
quality of their crops. With less water loss, they can better manage their water, which can easily and
quickly reach their farms.”
The rebuilt canal has made water management easier for farmers, the majority of residents in
Surkhdar village, who mainly grow crops such as potatoes, wheat, and vegetables. They no longer face
conflicts over water or challenges as water reaches their farms in scheduled turns. Farmer Hussain
says: “Previously, it used to take three hours to irrigate my farm and the water loss was persistent. But
now irrigating it all takes only 20 minutes and water loss is minimal.”
Abdul a farmer, agrees that farmers are seeing higher crop yields and quality as a result of improved
water management. “In the past, there was enough water and only a few problems in April and May,
but we faced water shortage in July and August when our crops needed more water. Now farmers do
not face any water shortage throughout the year. They are able to harvest more crops of higher
quality,” he says. “In the past I harvested around 15,400 kg of potatoes, but ever since the canal was
built, I have harvested around 35,000 kg of potatoes.”
Lands located at the very end of the canal could not get enough water previously and were left
uncultivated. The farmers are pleased that all the arable land in Surkhdar village are now cultivated,
and that life has changed for the better.
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Afghan Mullah Ghulam Canal Improves Crop Yields in Bamyan
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