DV Assessed and Developed Monitoring & Evaluation System for the IFAD-RLMSP-MAIL project of Dutch Committee of Afghanistan (DCA).

As an inevitable fact, the agricultural productivity is directly proportional to the improved socio-economic status Afghan livelihoods. Afghanistan, being an agricultural country, have largely depended upon agriculture, with the major focus on the livestock, from centuries and worked with certain independent bodies that have been trying for the sustainable development. Among various bodies, MAIL with its international partners has been eminent in the provision of astonishing from last decade to overcome the very challenge of food for the growing population.

Many credible international agencies have provided various services that have supported livestock owners to improve the condition of their animals. Consultancy Services for Implementing the Sub-Project “Veterinary Services in the Northern Region” (hereafter referred to as ‘The Project’) is component 2.2 of the RMLSP. The Program is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented through the MAIL, GIRoA. Its duration is from 2011 – 2016 and it has been implemented in five provinces: Badakhshan, Baghlan, Bamyan, Kunduz and Takhar.

The expected outcome of ‘The Project’ is ‘Strengthened livestock production systems of poor rural households, with developed marketing opportunities, and improved local livestock production, productivity and smallholders’ incomes’ through developing ‘A self-sustaining network of high quality, animal health service providers established in the northern region’.

These services, on the major range include, awareness about the program, access to feed bank, vaccination, veterinary services, marketing and advice on feeding, breeding and management of animals. In order to achieve this, DCA-VET has implemented activities in the following eight thematic areas:

Improve the services of the VFUs in the target provinces by launching a marketing and awareness campaign;
Increase accessibility of the VFU services in the target communities through refining and addition of BVWs
Improve the Kuchi nomads access to veterinary and livestock services through involvement of a number of Kuchi as BVWs with links to the VFUs;
Identify poor in the communities and provide for them improved access to the services through subsidies, deferred and free payments;
Improve access to veterinary and livestock services with a focus on preventive health measures, proper fodder management, housing and farmer organizations, aimed at increased fertility, prolificacy and productivity;
Develop value chains for two livestock products; 1) cashmere and 2) karakul skin through appropriate health plans, harvesting and marketing;
Enhance collaboration between local livestock development providers by creating a regional Afghan Veterinary Association in the North;
Develop new activities specifically addressing ‘gender’.