2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Teaching orchard management in Central Asia is a challenging mission. Gardeners are very poor, have no equipment, little access to agrochemicals, and lack orchard management skills. Since 2005, the goal of USAID farmer-to-farmer volunteers in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan has been to teach orcharding skills to horticulturists, emphasizing in pruning techniques, a simple and low-priced way to double their income in two years. The “pruner project” was developed among local Master Gardeners and Oregon farmers. In Lake Issyk-kul, Kyrgyzstan, 75% of the trees are now pruned. And since 2012, 65% of the Tajik trees are pruned as well. One of many success stories: Near the Afghanistan border, volunteers met a local gardener, who was very depressed. The man was barely growing enough food to keep his three kids from starving to death. The man attended the pruning and orchard management class. He and other gardeners also received equipment to share. Three years later, the same man welcomed the volunteers with a big smile on his face and showed them his prosperous orchard. Thanks to pruning, a person who was in the depth of depression is now a successful father that can support his family; and counting with more input resources, his orchard could still produce the double.