Storing livestock Feed

Written by: Mir Aqa Atabar

Most of the rural people in Afghanistan are engaged in livestock in a traditional way. Some of the ranchers of the cold areas face problem in winter.

Writer/producer AEPO has talked to some ranchers and a livestock expert.

Zafar Khan, a rancher says: last winter was very cold, and I faced with the lack of feed for livestock. I sold my cow for 10 thousand Afghanis which could be sold for 50 thousand Afghanis in the summer. Sebghatullah, a rancher, resident of Almar district of Faryab province says:

I had 300 sheep last year. The winter was very cold and I din’t have enough feed for my sheep. I lost most of my sheep.

Some ranchers store hay for the winter. Raz Mohammad, a resident of Bagrami, district of Kabul province says that he stores white straw and alfalfa during summer and feeds his livestock during winter.

Doctor Hedayatullah, responsible for livestock department, Ministry of Agriculture of Afghanistan says:

Most of the ranchers in Afghanistan are not enough rich to buy readymade feed for their livestock. There is a simple way to prepare enrich feed for the winter of livestock.

Dig the land 1 meter deep, and one-meter wide. The length of the pit should be 1.5 meters. At the beginning, mix 4 kilograms urea fertilizer with 40 letters water and 100 kilograms white stray; spread a plastic in the pit and then put the mixture on the plastic and cover the mixture with another plastic. After 21 days, the feed would be ready for use.