“In the current year, there has been a 7% to 30%
increase in fruit products, varying by province. Some
provinces have seen growth in fruit yields
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock spokesperson, Mesbahuddin Mustain, stated that aside from the northern provinces, which experienced drought, farmers in other provinces have achieved significant increases in fresh fruit production. “In the current year, there has been a 7% to 30% increase in fruit products, varying by province. Some provinces have seen growth in fruit yields. This is a notable achievement for the Ministry of Agriculture,” he said. Some farmers in the north ern provinces of the country report that due to consecutive droughts, they have not achieved good yields, and some of their trees have even withered. “This year, drought has hit us hard; our apple, fig, and grape trees have dried up. Furthermore, there is a water shortage, and we are asking the government for assistance,” said Rohullah, a farmer. “This year, we have achieved good yields compared to the previous year. A tree can yield around 30 apricots or 25 apricots, and even up to 40 if the tree is large. These trees (apricots and black plums) bear fruit in three years, and our trees are three years old,” shared Mohammad Wali, another farmer. However, the Afghanistan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock urges the Islamic Emirate to engage with various countries in the export sector to increase fruit exports. “For instance, today, the price of grapes is AFN 70 per seven kilograms, while farmers spend a lot on fertilizers. When merchants exported to Pakistan, the price of Pakistani Rupees also decreased. Traders suffer losses, and farmers are affected in their pockets,” said Mirwais Haji Zadah, the Deputy Head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock. Despite consecutive droughts in the country and concerns expressed by international aid organizations in this regard, agriculture is still traditionally irrigated. From ancient times to now, agriculture has not been mechanized in Afghanistan, and farmers still carry out their work with basic agricultural equipment. Muqset
