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FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (February 25, 2008) - To
some, it might be laughable that the economic welfare of an entire
community relies on thousands of flightless birds, but in the
farming communities of southern Baghdad, chickens represent a
significant way ahead.
A member of the State Department's Baghdad 7 embedded provincial
reconstruction team is helping these communities establish
themselves as centers of poultry production.
"Some of these farmers had over 100,000 chickens at one time,"
said Mike Stevens, the team's agricultural advisor. Stevens, a
native of Park Rapids, Minn., said farmers from Adwaniyah, Arab
Jabour and Hawr Rajab lost their chickens to al Qaeda operatives
who took them when they moved into the area.
In many cases, chicken coops were used to hide weapons caches,
and insurgents often used the large spaces inside the coops to make
homemade explosives, Stevens said. Local farmers also reported that
insurgents would seize farmers' equipment and strip generators for
parts.
By starting farmers unions for each of the communities, Stevens
learned of the plight befalling the region's chicken farmers.
With help from soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, Stevens began assessing the various
agricultural industries that once thrived in the area. As part of
his project, the 15-year State Department veteran also assessed
chicken farms in the three tribal areas.
With information he learned about the communities, Stevens set
in motion a three-pronged approach to rebuild the region's economic
infrastructure.
To boost farm operations, micro-grants of up to $2,500 will be
used to rebuild dilapidated chicken coops and other farm buildings.
Quick response funds -- grants of up to $25,000 -- will be used to
restock vacant local farms. In addition, disarming, demobilizing
and reconstruction funds in amounts of up to $100,000 will be used
to begin large-scale training and employment programs for people
near factories such as the Al Raad slaughterhouse.
Stevens identified a local businessman who owns the poultry
processing plant, which can support a work force of up to 200
employees and bring chickens to markets in the capital. Before
insurgent activities, the plant owner contracted with many Hawr
Rajab farmers to raise chickens for his slaughterhouse. The owner
told Stevens he would trade chicken feed and a monthly stipend with
farmers who guaranteed him a portion of their chickens for
processing.
The plant has the potential to jumpstart the region's chicken
industry, but before any profit is earned, both the factory and
surrounding farms require funds to get going.
In coming weeks, live chickens will be delivered and farms in
the region will begin to rebuild their coops, signaling another
step toward progress for the citizens of Iraq.
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