Dairy farmers in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, say they have immense potential to meet local demand for milk, but need support and training to enhance productivity.
In Kandahar and Helmand, approximately 150,000 liters of milk is produced daily. Local authorities in these provinces report that over a thousand dairy farms are operational, meeting the daily milk needs of the residents.
At these farms, some 120,000 liters of milk are produced in Kandahar and 30,000 liters in Helmand, sufficiently meeting the milk needs of the inhabitants in these provinces.
Officials assure that efforts to modernize and standardize the existing farms are ongoing. Atiqullah, the General Director of Livestock at the Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock Directorate of Kandahar, reports: “950 dairy farms in the province produce up to 120,000 liters of milk daily.”
Similarly, Shah Mohammad, the General Director of Livestock at the Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock Directorate of Helmand, mentions that daily production from dairy farms ranges “between 30,000 to 32,000 liters of milk, fulfilling the daily milk demand of Helmand’s residents”.
However, some farmers are complaining about the low price of milk, claiming that it is challenging to cover their daily expenses with the current prices.
Some farmers in Helmand report that a lack of market access, unfamiliarity with standard farming methods, and reliance on imported milk have led to reduced income for them.
Hekmatullah, a Helmand a dairy farmer in Helmand, says, “Our issues include lack of knowledge in dairy farming, a sluggish market, and low product prices. Last year, we sold 4.5 kilograms of milk for a 50 afghanis, but this year it’s only 120 afghanis.”
Abdul Khaliq, another Helmand resident who has invested seven million afghanis in a joint dairy farm, also explained, “In this farm, we have 17 dairy cows and 7 bulls. Our problem is that the milk market is sluggish. The milk we bring to the market is sold at a low price, and even the money we make is not enough to maintain the cows.”
The private company “MilkCo” collects thousands of liters of fresh milk daily from Kandahar and Helmand. The company’s officials state that they buy fresh milk from small and large farms at reasonable prices. MilkCo, with an investment of $7 million, provides direct employment for 300 individuals.
Jalal Ahmad Jalal, the milk collection manager for the company, said: “We collect 50,000 liters of milk daily from Kandahar and Helmand, and around 5,000 dairy farmers supply us with milk ranging from one kilogram to one thousand kilograms.”
Currently, there are 1,030 dairy farms operating in Kandahar and Helmand. It is believed that if citizens use locally produced fresh milk instead of imported milk, it will not only address the issues faced by dairy farmers but also encourage many people to start small and large-scale dairy farms, as well as, these farms not only meet the needs of residents in Helmand and Kandahar but can be also distributed to neighbouring provinces.
