Farmer Success Story: Abdul Rashid, Afghanistan

Abdul Rashid is a grape farmer from Shakardara District in Kabul Province, Afghanistan. He hails from a long line of farmers who, for centuries, have grown their grapes on earthen mounds. This technique made the grapes susceptible to disease, and during a bad winter the entire vineyard could potentially be lost to freezing. Last year, we assisted Abdul with installing a T-trellis system in his vineyard. The grapevines were trained to climb overhead wires, gaining better access to sunlight and ventilation. - the results were immediate and tangible.

“I was surprised by how many grapes we produced,” Rashid said. “Where we once might have harvested 14kg of grapes, we were now bringing in 28kg or even 36kg.”

With the extra income, Rashid is enlarging is vineyard, which will provide a stable source of income for his family for generations to come.