Consecutive years of drought in Ghor have left pastures with little fodder and forced many livestock owners to face high costs to feed their livestock. Some have also sold part of their livestock to keep the rest alive.
However, this year’s relatively good rainfall has improved vegetation and pastures for a while, creating better conditions for livestock to graze. Livestock owners say that this situation has reduced the economic pressure caused by high fodder costs and increased their hopes of having more livestock.
Eid Gul Adel, a livestock owner from Dawlat Yar district of Ghor, says that during the drought years, he was forced to sell more than half of his livestock to keep the rest alive. However, he says this year’s rainfall and improved pastures have changed the situation to some extent.
“The drought was very severe. There was no grass, and we had to buy fodder at high prices. To keep the rest of my livestock, I sold part of them. I was even thinking about giving up livestock farming. Now the livestock feed on the pastures, costs have decreased, and livestock prices have also improved. We hope to increase the number of our livestock again,” he says.
Eid Gul is not the only livestock owner who says that the situation of the pastures has improved. A number of other livestock owners in Ghor also say that this year’s rainfall has provided better opportunities for feeding their livestock and reduced the cost of keeping them.
Gul Mohammad Adel, another livestock owner from Dawlat Yar district, also says,
“During the drought years, keeping livestock had become very difficult. There was little fodder, and many livestock owners were forced to sell their livestock. Fortunately, this year, because of the good rainfall, the pastures have become green, and our livestock are in better condition. Fodder costs have decreased, and we hope to increase the number of our livestock again and, through this, make our families’ incomes better as well,” he says.
Natural resource experts also confirm that this year’s rainfall has had a significant impact on the recovery of vegetation and pastures in Ghor. However, they emphasize that proper management of pastures is necessary to ensure the continuation of this situation. Ziauddin Sohaib, a natural resource expert, told Salam Watandar,
“Drought over the past several years has damaged parts of the pastures, but this year’s rainfall has caused vegetation to grow and improved the situation in the pastures. However, proper management of pastures is necessary to prevent further damage in the future,” he says.
The improvement in the situation of the pastures has not only affected livestock owners but has also boosted the buying and selling of livestock. Livestock sellers say that the buying and selling of livestock has increased this year at the market compared with last year, and prices have also been rising.
Jalaluddin, a livestock buyer at the Ghor livestock market, says, “Demand for livestock has increased this year. The price of sheep has risen compared with last year, and livestock owners are trying to keep and increase their livestock.”
Meanwhile, officials at the Ghor Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock say this year’s good rainfall has reduced some of the pressure caused by previous droughts. They say sustainable measures are necessary to reduce livestock owners’ vulnerability to future droughts.
Zia-ul-Haq Joya, spokesperson for the Ghor Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, says,
“The droughts in past years caused serious damage to livestock farming, but this year, pasture growth and increased fodder have improved the situation. Programs to strengthen livestock farming and increase livestock owners’ resilience to climate change have also been considered.”
Livestock farming is an important source of income for rural families in Ghor, but consecutive years of drought have made this sector highly vulnerable.
Livestock owners hope that through pasture management, fodder storage, support from relevant institutions, and the implementation of climate change adaptation programs, they will be able to gradually increase their livestock and maintain livestock farming as one of the main sources of income for their families.
Reporter: Mah Rokh Adel
