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Mid-Term Evaluation of the Perennial Horticulture Development Project (PHDP) and feasibility study for further design of existing and new initiatives in the development of perennial horticulture at a national and sub-national level - Afghanistan

Afghanistan

European Commission

The main beneficiaries of the proposed mission will be the about 600,000 persons involved in the perennial horticulture industry as well as traders, fruit tree nursery growers, processing plant owners and other stakeholders, in all major regions of the country. The secondary beneficiaries will also be the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL), which will gain a broader view of the future possibilities for development in perennial horticulture.

Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly dependent on agriculture both crops and livestock. In 2002 the GDP per capita was reported to be US$ 200 with a total GDP of US $ 4.6 billion of which 53% was provided by agriculture. The current population, variously estimated at 24-31 million individuals is substantially rural. The great majority of people are subsistence farmers on small plots of land who face serious food security problems and continue to suffer from insufficient income opportunities, education and medical care. The country is characterized by diverse agro-ecological conditions that support a wide range of crops. Wheat is the main cereal and staple crop accounting for about 70% of the total cultivated area of field crops. Other important field crops include rice, barley, maize and food legumes. The horticulture component of Afghanistan’s Agriculture Master Plan is a direct result of the desire of H.E. President Karzai, Honorable Minister of the MoAIL Ramin, and various international donors to develop prioritized investment plans to transform the sector. The intention is to transform the agricultural sector from a subsistence based sector to a vibrant area of the economy that can provide high and rising incomes to rural farmers, provide opportunities for private businesses, and shift production from illicit to licit crops. Given the importance of agriculture in the Afghan economy, the creation of a robust horticulture sector is key to achieving national economic objectives. The Agriculture Master Plan and the Government of Afghanistan must address a wide range of problems to create real and lasting change in the horticulture sector. • Global and specific objectives The assignment has two components: Component 1 - A mid-term evaluation of the PHDP The purpose of the evaluation is to draw out lessons from the experience of project implementation to date and to make recommendations for how the project should be implemented for the rest of its duration. Stakeholders in the Government of Afghanistan and the European Commission, as well as project management, are expected to take an interest in the report. The major outputs of the review will be an end-of-review workshop for stakeholders, an aide memoire that summarizes findings and recommendations at the end of the fieldwork phase and draft and final reports. The main objectives of the evaluation are therefore to determine: (i) The success of the project to date in producing the planned results and achieving its purpose; (ii) The lessons learned from experience to date that may be used to plan activities to the end of the project; (iii) The possibilities to more intensively liaise / cooperate with the EC-funded FAO seed project on areas related to planting materials for perennial horticulture. Component 2 – Follow-up project formulation This will consist in a study on the feasibility of further extending EC initiatives in perennial horticulture and pursuing PHDP’s strategy for nursery industry development (including in quality control and assurance), fruit and nut tree variety evaluation, and Perennial Horticulture Development Centres’ programmes for demonstration orchards, training and adaptive research. Stakeholders in the Government of Afghanistan and the European Commission, as well as programme management, are expected to take an interest in the study proposals. The major outputs of the study will be an end-of-study workshop for stakeholders, an aide memoire that summarizes the proposals and programme supporting documents according to EC guideline, depending on the findings of the review. The main objectives of the study are therefore to determine: (i) All necessary components, inputs and activities for the envisaged extension/new project, and proposed options for its institutional set-up, focusing attention to existing and forecasted projects, needs and development opportunities, the present security context and the capacities of the public administration system4. This should include a cost benefit analysis; (ii) A stakeholders’ analysis is conducted, and the implementation arrangements as well as the technical and institutional needs are detailed. This will include the preparation of a SWOT analysis and the exploration of links and synergies with other projects and local counterparts active in similar areas; (iii) The potential impact of the proposed action as well as its sustainability and identify obstacles and risks to the achievement of the desired impact taking account of cross- cutting issues (environment, human resources development, regional cooperation, poverty alleviation and gender) and of financial and economic considerations. Possible measures ensuring sustainability are identified and described. This refers in particular to the recurrent cost implications for the government; (iv) Further possible studies needed to be undertaken in the framework of the programme are proposed with indicative terms of references.

Start date: 2008-08-01

End date: 2008-12-31