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FOB KALSU, Iraq (April 29, 2008) - Two Iraqi poultry farmers
received 3,000 chicks each April 27 in a bid to jump-start their
industry in Hawr Rajab, a rural community south of Baghdad.
The farmers, Mohammed Hussein and Amman Kameers, accepted the
chicks from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and
the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team.
"It's meant as a start-up packet," said Mike Stevens, the ePRT
agriculture adviser. "It's just to cut back on their input costs so
they can make a profit and become self-sustaining."
Poultry farming in Hawr Rajab, once a thriving industry,
suffered at the hands of insurgents. Stevens said insurgents came
to the area and stole chickens and destroyed chicken coops as a way
to threaten the farmers.
"We had a lot of losses," said Sheikh Majid Wiese, chairman of
the local farmers union. "Since we started working with the (Sons
of Iraq) and Coalition forces, we've gotten rid of those
insurgents. Now we're gearing toward agriculture."
Distributing chicks to farmers is just one part of the program,
said Stevens. In the coming months, the 2nd BCT and the ePRT will
distribute feed and more than 12,000 egg-laying chicks to Hawr
Rajab farmers. They are also working to secure funds to complete
refurbishment of the al-Ra'ad Poultry processing plant in Hawr
Rajab, which could provide much-needed jobs to the region.
Increased capacity in poultry farming is intended to have a
trickle-down effect in the local economy, Stevens said. Hatcheries
in Baghdad will be able to sell more chicks to farmers, who in turn
can supply more poultry products to local markets.
"Providing these chicks will help to increase our capacity about
25 percent," said Rarad Abd Jalel Rashed, a poultry representative
of the farmers union. "If we can get up to 50 percent, we will be
able to be on our own and not need any assistance from anybody
else."
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