The agricultural sector
48
Table 5.8 Households producing crops on a irrigated land in summer, b irrigated land in winter c rain-fed land, and d garden plots, by importance of crop, and by three most frequently mentioned crops percentage mentioned between brackets
Frequency of mentioning
Importance of crops First most important crop
Second most important crop Third most important crop
a. Irrigated land in summer
Most Wheat 77
Alfalfacloverother fodder 24 Alfalfacloverother fodder 38
Second most Opium 12
Barley 17 Potatoes 12
Third most Potatoes 3
Wheat 17 Other vegetables 8
b. Irrigated land in winter
Most Maize sorghum 53
Maize sorghum 19 Other vegs 34
Second most Rice 15
Melon watermelon 11 Alfalfacloverother fodder 16
Third most Other 10
Cotton 11 Melon watermelon 12
c. Rain-fed land
Most Wheat 94
Barley 71 Flax 29
Second most Cotton 1
Maize sorghum 9 Melon watermelon 26
Third most Barley 1
Melon watermelon 6 Other 19
d. Garden plots
Most Fruit nut trees 39
Other fruits 25 Other fruits 29
Second most Grapes 33
Fruit nut trees 18 Other 14
Third most Other 15
Other 17 Other vegetables 12
The current NRVA 20078 shows opium production in 13 out of 34 provinces of Afghanistansee Figure 5.5, with six provinces reporting substantial proportions of households engaged in opium production, predominantly on irrigated land. Poppy cultivation
or opium production is reported by 6 percent of all households. Of households engaged in agriculture, 10 percent reported opium production, while 12 percent of those using irrigated land in summer reported opium as first important crop see Table
5.8, panel a. This figure implies a significant increase from the corresponding 3 percent reported in the NRVA 2005. Since poppy cultivation is illegal, it can be expected that these figures represent a significant under-estimation.
Provinces with the highest percentages of households reporting being involved in opium production are Urozgan and Helmand, with 82 percent and 67 percent, respectively see Figure 5.5. When limiting the analysis to the 55 percent of
households engaged in agriculture, the figures further increase – for instance, the proportions for Urozgan and Helmand rise to, respectively, 90 and 82 percent.
5.3.2 Livestock
Some 2.3 million out of 3.4 million Afghan households 68 percent have any kind of livestock, which indicates the importance of this sector within agriculture. In comparison, the NRVA 2005 reported that 64 percent of households owned livestock of
any type. As expected, ownership of livestock is predominant among the Kuchi population – 94 percent of households own any type of livestock – but also among sedentary rural households the large majority 79 percent raises any type of animals
see Table 5.9. Even among urban households a considerable minority 18 percent does so. The average number of animals per household nationwide is 12, but for households who own any livestock the figure is 18.
Of those households who do own any livestock, almost all rural and Kuchi households and nearly half of the urban households have any type of major livestock cattle, oxen, horses, donkeys, camels, goats or sheep. Kuchi households
have by far the largest herds; on average they own 63 animals, whereas the average number of major livestock for rural households is 9 data not shown here. Nationally, the average number of major livestock per household with any
livestock is 13, which suggests an overall number of some 30 million animals in Afghanistan. Ownership of poultry of any kind is most widespread among the urban and rural households.
The agricultural sector
49
Figure 5.5 Percentage of households cultivating opium, by province
Table 5.9 Households, by residence, and by livestock-owning status, type of livestock in percentages; also stating mean and median number of livestock
Livestock-owning status, number of livestock
Residence Urban
Rural Kuchi
National No livestock
82 21
6 32
Any livestock, of whom have 18
79 94
68 Major livestock
48 94
99 92
Poultry 78
77 60
76 Major livestock and poultry
26 71
59 68
Mean number of livestock 7
14 67
18 Median number of livestock
4 10
45 10
Total 100
100 100
100
Mean number of livestock 1
11 63
12 Median number of livestock
7 43
6
